Violet Eyes
by KuroRiya
Summary: There is an entire world that exists beneath the sea, unseen by the human eye for centuries. And the creatures that populate this world aren't so different from humans. But for some, born with the unfortunate trait of eyes the color of violets, a life of being hunted is all they can hope for. One of these poor souls gets lucky, fished out to find safety instead of death. Mer!Tino.
1. Chapter 1

It was a stupid, careless mistake on my part. The number one rule that the Violet-Eyes must abide by is to only hunt where there is no chance of being seen. How many times had this been drilled into my mind? Countless times. But invisible waters are infertile waters, with a low yield. Few fish, scant vegetation, and several hungry, illegal Mer desperately trying to find a meal. For one as small as I, it is next to impossible to compete. Even if I do find something edible, it is quickly snatched away by a bigger Mer. Yes, we all share the cursed trait, some of us even share living quarters, but that does not make us friends. We are all fighting to survive, and the biggest man generally wins.

I'm not small, per se, at least, not petite. I've always had a maid's curve to my body, regardless of my nutrition at the time. However, I was not made of muscles. Some of the Violet-Eyes train their bodies, unwavering in their preparation for a battle that we all assume will some day come. But I am not made for such training. I tire easily, and prefer to use the strength of my mind. Not to say that I am particularly intelligent; far from it. I just lose myself in my thinking, more than most consider healthy. But, for the most part, no one intervenes. We all fear for our lives every day, so none of them can bring themselves to break me from my pseudo-reality. At least I can pretend to be happy for a time.

But feeding shifts do not leave me time to daydream. I have a limited time to find as much to eat as possible, or I go hungry. There is no stock, no store-room full of back up fish and seaweed. What we find is what we eat. Unfortunately for us, most of the fish that normally populate our feeding areas have moved away; we Mer have eaten all of the vegetation that used to draw them in, so they have no reason to come. Such a lack of food leads to very unstable relations between us, and I had been trying my best to avoid foraging anywhere near the others.

It had been days since I had eaten anything of substance, my only food coming in the form of some algae I had scraped off of a coral reef with my nails. But it seemed I was finally going to get my lucky break, as I noticed a small fish swim right by my eye. It darted away, and I didn't even think as I chased after it. With a triumphant grin, my fingers wrapped around its streamlined body, gripping tightly. I felt its bones snap in my grip, and it went limp. I opened my mouth, planning to eat it quickly, lest anyone see, but it never made it to my lips.

As it were, someone had already seen me. A very large someone. A very large someone who now had my fish in his hand. My eyes widened in distress, I already knew what would happen.

"No! I caught it! It is mine!" I growled, flicking my tail quickly and trying to snatch it back, to no avail.

"You do not need it. All you do is sit and stare at nothing; and you are not even half of my stature." That said, I watched my fish slide into his mouth and down his throat. My lip trembled at the sight of my lost meal, my mouth agape with disbelief at the cruelty of a catch denied me. The Mer that had taken it stared at me with his violet-eyes, daring me silently to take an action, to give him an excuse to break my spine just like the fish's, and eat me the same way. I bit my lip, but said nothing, silently reminding myself that it was only one small herring, and he turned, swimming away from me to return to his search. Once I was sure he was gone, I blinked, resulting in a cascade of small pearls floating languidly to the ocean floor. There they lay, shining up at me, standing out against the stark vacancy of the feeding area. It was almost mocking, in a way. Land creatures apparently found our tears extremely valuable, yet they were meaningless to us. Where a few tears on land would buy a new home, they were simply left to mark the anguish of a starving Mer under the water.

I turned, taking in the pitiful state of those around me, digging fruitlessly at the sandy floor, eating repulsive sea snails, shell and all, breaking teeth in a delirious attempt to consume coral. And suddenly I decided that it was too much. Why should we, I, have to go night after night without so much as a bite to eat? Why should I have to resort to chewing at rocks in a bid to forget my real hunger? Merely because my eyes were a shade different than what was acceptable? How perfectly disgusting!

Anger flaring and heart pounding, I quickly turned to make sure there were no eyes on me, then swam past a large reef, going behind it, then moving away, quickly.

I'd be damned if I was going to go hungry for another night.

Of course, my mind in such a state, I became stupid. Anger tends to elicit that quality in most people. And, if anger was not enough, my starvation was. I was mad at that point, in both definitions of the word. The threat of the Hunters was not as frightening as my looming hunger. So off I went, swimming through the stark, lifeless water, long past the time of my feeding shift. But I did not care if they missed me, did not care if they worried. I knew they would not, so why bother thinking of it at all?

Finally, I spotted a fish. Only one, but one none the less. I darted for it, and had it in my mouth before it could even think to swim away. I bit fiercely, messily tearing the flesh from the bones, then sucking the bones till they came out white. I dropped the remains, watched as they sank to the floor. But I was not satiated. One fish would not make up for weeks of close to nothing. I continued on, scanning with my eyes as I went.

It didn't take me long to run into a decent sized school of herring. My mouth satiated, and I did not hesitate to swim right into the middle of all of them. They, of course, scattered, trying to swim away from me. But I had a small moment of genius, and crushed them as I wrapped my fingers around them, letting them drop to the floor and immediately going for another. By the time the majority had gotten away, I had a decent pile of dead fish just waiting to be devoured. And devour them I did, in the most beastly way imaginable. Manners don't mean much for someone as hungry as I was.

Once I had eaten all of my mass kill, I regained some of my sense. I wanted to smack myself for my idiocy! What had I been thinking, venturing this far? Venturing at all? I was outside of the safety zone. Sure, the safety zone was not guaranteed, but at least there were men to try and protect me. Here I was exposed, vulnerable, and so very frightened. I looked around, suddenly feeling like there were hundreds of eyes on me, watching me, hiding just beyond the rocks, the reefs.

I turned slowly, then shot back towards the hiding place as quickly as my fins would take me, shooting furtive glances behind me at my imagined pursuers. Even in their absence, the Hunters were terrifying. In the midst of one such glance, I managed to run into a large rock, this sending me reeling, crying out as my head throbbed with pain. It was enough to make me stop, to close my eyes, to curse under my breath. And that was the mistake that sent me over the edge. One can only make so many in such a small time without punishment.

And mine came in the worst shape possible.

I yelped as I felt hands on my arms, yanking them painfully behind me. Eyes wide, I turned to face my assailant, but I suddenly wished I hadn't seen him, hadn't opened my eyes at all.

"Just as I thought. A Violet-Eyes." His voice was smooth, emotionless, terrifying. Positively frigid. I whimpered as I tried to pull away, but he was stronger than I. "Don't struggle. It will only make this more painful. I am alright with that, are you?" He asked, only a slight inflection in his tone giving me the hint that it was a sarcastic question. My brows knitted upwards, and I could already feel the round pearls coming to my eyes. I looked at him pathetically, knowing my attempt at gaining sympathy would return no gain, but trying none the less.

I was a bit surprised by his appearance, honestly. Most hunters that I had had the misfortune of seeing were big, bulky. But this man was slender, just a bit larger than me. However, what he lacked in brawn, I could tell he made up for with cunning. His indigo blue eyes were cold, wise, calculating. I looked away. He was, strangely, familiar. And that unsettled me to no end. But I could not quite place where I was getting this familiarity. I had never met him before; I was sure of that. But I couldn't shake the feeling.

He pulled on my arm, leading me in the direction I had come from. I tried again, in vain, to pull away. He kept going as if my struggling did not phase him. I wailed, fighting against his pull with all of my might. But, despite my large meal only moments earlier, my body was still weak from malnutrition, and I hadn't even the ghost of a chance. And I knew it.

How? How could I have been so utterly vapid? How could something, repeated to me countless times, be so easily forgotten? I knew better than to leave the designated areas. I chose to leave them anyway. I had done this. I had done this to myself. And I was going to die for it.

I gave up my struggle, going limp. The Hunter sighed, halting for a moment to wrap an arm around my waist, then he returned on his path. I wept, leaving a trail of pearls behind me, the only legacy I would ever leave. What a worthless thing.

But, fates be blessed, it seems that I was not the only hungry creature that day. My captor stopped yet again, this time cursing under his breath. I chanced a glance up, and, to my horror, came face to face with the one predator that strikes fear even in a Mer's heart. Well, I suppose that giant squids are also rather scary, but they are not very common. However, sharks are horribly common. And just horrible in general.

He seemed to be eying us just as I had the herring from earlier, predatory, desperate. I shivered, wondering how the Hunter planned to proceed. Would he throw me to the shark? That would give him time to escape and rid him of the responsibility of killing me. I could only hope that he hadn't managed to think of that.

They stared each other down for a time, then the shark went in for the kill, slicing through the water towards us. I shrieked, flinching, my eyes shut tight in preparation for the sharp teeth that were destined for my flesh. But the pain never came. After a moment, I opened my eyes, and found the shark below us. How the Hunter managed to avoid the lunge, I doubt I'd ever know, but I was thankful.

The shark, on the other hand, was nowhere near as pleased. He returned, lunging again, and again, and then, finally, one last time. With a loud shout of damnation, the Hunter shoved me away from himself, sending us both spiraling in opposite directions. The shark turned back around, but, to my fortune, decided that the other male looked tastier than I did. He went for him, and I watched with fascinated horror as the Hunter just barely dodged out of the way. I watched him do this twice before I realised that this was my chance. I turned and raced in the other direction, hoping to god the shark would keep him preoccupied.

Of course not.

"Get BACK here!" He shouted, and I spared only one glance to learn that he was following me, shark right behind him. I did my best to increase my speed, holding my arms tight to my sides, using all of the strength I had left in a mad dash to the caves. The safe caves, where Hunters couldn't get us. They didn't know where they were!

My brain came to the shattering conclusion that I could not return to the caves. If I did, this Hunter would know where ALL of the Violet-Eyes were hiding. Perhaps I would escape, but many others would die. That... Simply wasn't fair. I couldn't doom so many people because of my carelessness. Teeth gritted with resignation, I veered to the left and up. My only hope now was to get to shore and beach myself. Hopefully the Hunter wouldn't follow, and, if he did, hopefully the land would put him at enough of a disadvantage to let me escape.

I could see the light from the sun, cutting through the water like sharpened bones, illuminating my scales as I tore through the water at a speed I didn't even know I was capable of. A bit further and I could see a huge black mass, a wall, a cliff. That meant I was close. I swam towards it, planning to follow the line of it until it met with a beach. I was close enough to the wall that I could touch it if I reached my hand out, but I didn't dare. All I could do was beat my tail against the water, to pray silently for survival.

I could hear the Hunter behind me, the kicks of his tail creating a dissonance with mine. The shark had, at some point, given up; I did not hear him anymore. I didn't need to look back to know that the Mer was close. Just a moment longer, and he would be able to reach out and grab my tail, ensnare me once again, this time tearing me apart limb by limb, saving my eyes to show as proof to the king.

But my capture didn't come from behind. No. Much like the rock from earlier, I ran into something. Something invisible before, but now so very clear. A net. These god damned land creatures! They cannot even comprehend what they have done by placing this here! They have doomed me! I struggled, thrashing in a hopeless bid to free myself. But I was too tangled, too panicked. And it didn't matter, the hunter was upon me, his hands pulling at me harshly, trying to rip me from the net so he could rip me apart.

With nothing else to do, I tried to fight him off. I knew this was a fruitless effort, he had already proven to be stronger than me. But I had no other options, and the adrenaline was pumping too thickly through my veins for me to do nothing. I quickly learned that I had no idea what I was going. Where he would punch me, effectively knocking the breath from my chest, all I could do was try to mimic his movements, none of them succeeding in anything more than annoying him.

However, I finally seemed to land a good blow, one to his shoulder. He hissed, his hand coming up to hold the shoulder I had just hit. He glared at me, but backed up, ceasing his attacks for a moment. I panted, wondering if he would give up, but he didn't take his cold indigo eyes off of me, glaring at me steadily while he bit his lip, still nursing his shoulder. We stayed in this stand-still for several minutes, then he appeared to get his senses back, and he began trying to remove me from the netting, none too gently. I yelped, but was unable to escape from his hands.

But suddenly his hands were gone, and I was moving away from him. He didn't follow after me, only looked on with the inkling of surprise on his otherwise blank face. And then it dawned on me; I was going up, and I was in a net. Only a land creature would retrieve a net. And now, in retrospect, the Hunter didn't look as terrifying. I cried out, reviving my attempts to untangle myself from the netting, but I could barely move my arms at all, let alone methodically.

And all too soon I broke the surface of the water, gasping as I was dropped carelessly to the ground. I flailed, struggling against the woven ropes, screaming in fear and anguish, knowing I was not going to survive. And, for the second time that day, I resigned myself to my death, and went limp. I rolled over miserably, wanting to at least see my killer before he could kill me.

I shrunk back as I saw him, his face utterly terrifying. His brows furrowed as if angry, and perhaps he was. I had ruined his net. He was very imposing, much larger than I, and able to stand upright on those strange fins that land creatures have. I whimpered, cowering under his gaze. But he didn't make any move to kill me, as I had expected him to. He only stared.

This was not what I had been told. The only thing scarier than Hunters and Sharks were the land creatures. Even the Hunters feared them. All Mer feared them. When they first came through our waters in the strange hollowed-out trees, we were fooled by their familiar appearances. They had upper halves that looked like ours, and spoke similarly to the way we did. We were friendly, at first, and the land creatures returned the favor. They taught us their language, which we quickly took to- Our language was hard to speak out of the water, but theirs could be spoken both in and out. We traded with them often, usually our tears for food or sometimes for the strange objects that they crafted. We would keep them company on their voyages, help them when they asked, and guide them when their tools failed.

But then we sang for them. We Mer have a penchant for singing, it is our most beloved pastime. But, as we quickly learned, our singing enchanted land creatures. They could not sing as we did, and they have the most absurd desire to posses that the Mer had ever seen. The first time they heard us, everything was broken. They began to trap us, to drag us from our homes, to keep us locked away. They'd force us to sing, and threaten to kill us if we didn't. No Mer returned once they were taken.

We learned the hard way not to sing when humans were around. By that time, our population had dwindled, and we lived in fear. We stayed below water as much as possible, repopulated, and, after nearly two centuries, the land creatures seemed to have forgotten about us. We began resurfacing, singing to the animals, swimming near the shores again. This time, it wasn't our voices that attracted the land creatures, but our tears. Once caught, most Mer cried, and land creatures place a high value on Mer tears. Pearls are precious stones to them. And that is when the real torture began. Where the previous generation had only threatened death, this one prodded with sticks, with shiny, sharpened rocks, drew blood, made us scream, cry, cry out every last pearl until we died of blood loss or shock.

Again, we went into hiding. We had learned that we would never be able to coexist with the land creatures. They were too cruel, too powerful. And, now, they have advanced. They create things that move on their own, huge vessels made of shiny rocks, sticks that send out small stones that can go straight through the thickest body.

And there I was, tangled up in the net of a particularly large one, unable to move or defend myself. I tried to shrink back, to somehow throw myself back into the water. Even death from a Hunter was favorable compared to torture at the hands of a land creature. I quickly learned that there was no way I was going to make it back over the edge. I managed to get rather close, but the land creature pulled me back towards him. I whined lowly as he did, trying to grab at the ground, but could not find anything to hold. When I was close enough for him to touch me, I tried to kick, to thrash, to do anything so that he couldn't come near me. If I could knock him off his balance, perhaps I could drag myself back to the edge. I had to at least try. But, instead of falling, like I had hoped, he squatted down, giving him a stronger stance, which pretty much ruined my plan.

"Calm down." He said, almost in a cooing voice. I blinked, pausing in my struggles. "Ah'm no' gonna hur' ya." He promised. His way of speaking was different... It was similar to the way a Mer that comes from far away will mispronounce things. Did that mean that he was from far away? Or was I the one that had come far?

But that wasn't the important part. He wasn't going to hurt me? Was he joking? I did not find it very humorous. Still, in his defense, there were no weapons around that I could see. And, his face aside, he did not seem very threatening. And, anyway, struggling had already proven fruitless for me, so why bother anymore? I went slack, deciding it was a better bet.

We were both still for a moment, and he simply observed me. Then he moved his hands towards me slowly, cautiously. I still flinched. He drew back when I did, waited until my breathing returned to normal, then moved towards me again. He took the netting in his hands and began the painstaking task of untangling me from it. First an arm, then a fin, and finally, after what seemed like hours, I was free. He stepped back after freeing me, dropping the net to the ground at his side. I followed it with my eyes, then quickly snapped them back to his face. Just as slowly as he had moved, I propped myself up, making it easier for me to watch him.

He moved one of his arms, and I was quick to react, backing myself up towards the edge of the pinnacle. He froze, as did I, then he lifted his hands up till they were level with his head, palms out and fingers extended, showing me that he didn't have anything nor any intention of harming me. I relaxed a bit at that, letting my posture slacken just a bit. After a small staring contest, he lowered himself gently to the ground, sitting. And he continued to sit for what must have been at least an hour, watching me watch him.

I eventually deduced that he really wasn't going to hurt me. Probably. Why bother with calming my fears of him if he was only going to reinstill them moments later? I let my body move, finally, relieving the pressure on my wrists. I rolled until I was laying on my stomach, resting my chin on my folded hands. And the staring continued.

Now that he was not, at least at the moment, a threat to my life, I realised how lucky I was. Had he not lifted me out of the water when he did, I would surely be dead now. The hunter, unlike this land creature, WAS out for my blood. So, in a way, (A very scary, traumatizing way) he saved me. So I guess, in a way, I sort of owed him.

I blinked, wondering if I was really going to do this. After a short mental debate, I gritted my teeth, and began to drag myself in the opposite direction from before, towards the land creature. He seemed surprised, but didn't make any movements. It took me a while to make it all the way over, but finally I was close enough to touch him.

I reached out, touching my hand to his face, feeling the texture of it for a moment. It was so different from my own skin, slightly prickly with hairs that land creatures somehow grew on their faces. The only place we Mer could grow hair was on our heads. But land creatures grew it most everywhere. Still, it wasn't an unpleasant feeling.

He hesitated, then lifted his hand up to rest on top of mine. I did my best, and managed not to flinch away. I looked up into his eyes, lovely sea blue eyes, ones that reminded me so perfectly of home, I could practically feel myself swimming in their depths.

"Beautiful..." He breathed, his eyes never once leaving mine. Beautiful? I was beautiful? Perhaps the rest of me, but not my eyes. Such cursed features are unfavorable, unlovable, ugly. But that is what he was staring at as he whispered the compliment, so what else could he mean? He blinked, looked me over as if seeing me for the first time. "...Ya're beautiful." He repeated, his breath ghosting across my face. Again, we were motionless. Then, suddenly, he stood. I yelped, falling over backwards in my attempt to get away from him. Oh, I knew it was a bad idea, getting that close! Now he was going to capture me, lock me up, and torture me until I had cried all of my tears, then he'd kill me!

I gasped as he hefted me up by the waist with a grunt, carrying me exactly as the Hunter had, though with a lot more effort it seemed. Weight worked differently above the water. I shrieked, trying to push myself out of his grasp, but he held tightly. He moved forward, one step at a time, towards the edge. I paused in my struggle, wondering what he was thinking, and then it dawned on me. He was going to return me to the ocean. Oh, good man, I thought, readjusting myself to make it a bit easier for him to carry me. We were at the edge, only about a foot more and he would fall off, and he stopped. Using his other hand, he held me out over the side, letting me go slowly, tail first.

It then dawned on me; the Hunter would be waiting, lurking in the water nearby just in case this human DID decide to do EXACTLY what he was doing. My eyes widened, and, sudden course of fear giving me strength, I grabbed onto his arms. He seemed startled as I scrambled, pulling at him in a bid to get back on solid ground. Seeming to catch on he, with much effort, managed to get an arm under my tail and heaved me back up, falling over backwards with the effort. He landed on his bottom, but held on to me tightly, making sure I didn't fall. I clung to him, shivering, only then realising how close I had just come, for the third time that day, to dying.

It didn't even matter to me anymore that this was a potentially deadly land creature; I wanted to be held, wanted to be protected. I was tired of having to fight for survival. Just once, I wanted someone to take care of me. And so I clung, shook, whimpered. And he, for whatever reason, held me, stroked my hair, consoled me quietly with gentle words. When I had calmed down enough, I began to explain to him why I couldn't go back. He got quite a start when I began speaking. Apparently, he hadn't thought I could speak his language.

I told him of the Hunters, told him of the Violet-Eyes, explained why I had ventured out of safety, recounted the chase I had just narrowly escaped thanks to him. And then I was quiet, still, coddled against his chest, listening to his heart beating softly, letting his body warm mine. We stayed there for a time, and then he stood, took off his outermost layer of clothing, and wrapped it around me, making sure my tail was covered. And I found myself in his arms again, cradled affectionately, and he walked, carrying me, all the way through a forest, a large village, and finally into a small home, crafted of wood that had been cut and then stacked together.

Once inside he removed the clothing from my body, and brought me to a small room in the house. There was a hollow, bowl-like structure there, and he turned something, making water come out of a spout of sorts. Once it had filled, he sat me in it, letting me lay in the warm water. He turned to a small, shiny box a ways away, and did some things with his fingers before returning to my side.

"The water will stay warm. If ya nee' anythin', jus' yell for me." He instructed quietly, petting my hair. I nodded, giving him a small smile. He got up to leave, but I grabbed his hand before he could.

"Thank you." I said, squeezing just a bit. "And I am Tino." I added on, remembering that we had not yet exchanged names. He squeezed my hand back.

"Berwald." He replied, letting my hand go and leaving the room. He left the door open, and I watched him retreat down a hallway and turn a corner. A pause, and then a small click sound that told me he had closed a door. I waited, then turned my eyes to the top of the room instead, looking at it as if hoping it would tell me a story, or that perhaps my imagination could take over and give me a few moments of bliss. But no such luck. I sighed, closing my cursed eyes, and did my best to relax in the white stone basin of warm, saltless water.

A/N: Alright, the votes came in, and you guys asked for a new story, prewritten or not. I'm going to warn you: I've only got two more chapters written, and then you're subject to hectic update schedules. But I'm sure my followers are used to that by now, huh?

Well, I hope you liked it! I stepped back a little from the real!AU and threw some fantasy in there. For those that didn't see my post about it, this story takes place in modern times. Usually, when you find a story containing mermaids or fairies or elves, the author takes the setting back to somewhere around the medieval period. The only creatures that seem to make it to the modern day are Vamps and Werewolves. So I'd like to give Mer a shot in the modern world!

As you might have noticed, Tino has a more... Refined way of speaking in this story. I'm not sure if it came across, but I'm trying to imply that the Mer, especially the Violet-Eyes, are a little behind the times. They aren't exposed to the slang and ever changing language of humans, so they work with the most recent words they know. And, seeing as they've been avoiding humans for the most part, their vocabulary is a little archaic. It'll get better as Tino learns more about the human world.  
I know that some of the things that Tino talks about are a little unclear or confusing: fret not! I promise that all will be explained in due time. I really like the story to be from his point of view, as if you were seeing into his thoughts. I don't explain my thoughts to myself, so why should he? But don't worry, he'll get around to it eventually.  
Now for something entirely unrelated: I'm wondering if anyone would be interested in reading an original story written by me? I've been working on it here and there since I visited Japan, and I've really grown to love my characters, but I worry that I'm wasting my time on a story that only I would ever read. Just so you can get a little more info on it: It's based loosely on my trip to Japan, so you would learn a lot about the country and the Tsunami by reading it. It'd be BL, of course! Let me know what you guys think!  
So, those that follow me are used to hearing this by now, but I have two ask pages, one where I answer with a picture that I draw and one where I answer with text. If you have any questions for me or the characters, feel free to ask. The drawn answers are on deviantart, and the text answers are on tumblr. You can find links to those in my profile! I've also got an account on Archive of Our Own, linked in my profile, where you can check out some of my more "explicit" stories. (Like the NorFin that fanfiction deleted...)

Alright, off I go to do some more writing! I've got to get lots done before I head out for Canada in October! See you guys next chapter, I hope! Reviews are always appreciated!

KuroRiya

九六りや


	2. Chapter 2

Despite what my savior, Berwald, had said, I woke to find myself shivering, the water in the small white basin having chilled while I slept. I frowned, biting my lip in an attempt to quiet my chattering teeth. I wondered what to do, knowing I couldn't remain in water this cold. Should I call for Berwald? He told me that I should if I needed anything, but surely he was sleeping himself. I didn't want to disturb him any more than I already had that day.

But I knew better than to think I could make it through the night in this water. Already my body was getting sluggish, my movements requiring much more effort than they should. I frowned, glancing towards the box that he had fiddled with earlier on, the one that was supposed to be keeping the water warm. Perhaps I could figure out how to make it work again? But I would have to get over there first.

With a plan now formed in my mind, I began the process of heaving myself out of the basin. In the ocean, this would have been a very simple, easy task. However, as I mentioned before, weight works differently on land, and I was much heavier than I anticipated. I fell down into the water with a splash, not even managing to sit up. I scowled, trying again, this time more prepared. I managed to get my upper half over the lip of the basin, but then I had to rest. How pathetic! I couldn't even lift myself!

Determined to make it this time, I pushed on the edge, heaving my lower half out. Finally, after a small hitch, I got enough of my mass on the outside that the rest of me slid out, and I flopped to the floor. Perhaps it wasn't the most graceful thing I'd ever done, but I had obtained my goal, and that was enough for me. I allowed myself a pause, to catch my breath, then began dragging myself towards the wall that the box was fixed to. The floor was positively awful! It had grooves between the stones, and it scratched at my tail as I slid across. But I persevered, I was so close!

Finally, I was upon the wall, staring up at the box. But, to my distress, it was much higher up than it had appeared from the basin. I reached as far as I could, but my arm was simply not long enough. I tried stretching my torso out as well, but that hardly helped. My only option was to try to stand, like the land creatures did, on my tail. It sounded painful, but I am a stubborn soul. I had made it this far, there was simply no giving up for me.

Needless to say, a few seconds later found me nursing my elbow on the floor where I had fallen. I didn't make it very far at all. Despite that, I had made a lot of noise when I hit the ground. I frowned, preparing myself for a second attempt, but I never got that far. I heard a click and light flooded in through the doorway. My head immediately snapped in that direction, a long conditioned fear rising up in my belly. Was it a hunter? A predator? But, no, it was Berwald. Apparently the noise I had been making _did_ wake him up. He was breathing a bit heavier than usual, so I guessed that he had rushed, maybe thinking I was injured.

He looked first at the basin, worry evident on his face when he didn't find me there. But it didn't take him long to locate me where I sat on the floor. He seemed surprised, and I flushed a bit, suddenly quite embarrassed with my failure. He came to my side, bending down to be on level with me. I flinched as his glaring face was put in front of mine, but I forced myself to remember that he wasn't angry at me, that he was just a frightening looking man.

"Tino? Wha' are ya doin'?" He asked. I pouted, looking up towards the shiny little box that had thwarted my plans.

"Th-The water got cold." I explained. He turned to glance at the basin, then he got up and looked at the box. He again maneuvered his fingers along the box, this time for much longer, and eventually he sighed with frustration.

"I's broken." He informed me. He continued to stare at the wall for a bit longer, then sighed again, rubbing his hand across the back of his neck. "Do ya nee' to be in water?" He asked, looking at me once more. I shook my head. Mer could survive out of water. In fact, if I remembered correctly, a certain very powerful Magic-Mer had grafted a new trait into our race, one that made it possible for us to imitate the human race should we need to. If we were away from water long enough, our tails would dissolve into human appendages. It was a safety measure for us; we had a better chance of survival if we could adapt to the land, especially when the humans trapped us.

Berwald nodded, retrieving something from a small shelf in the corner of the room. It was a fabric of some sort, but I had no idea what its purpose was. But I could hardly complain when Berwald wrapped it around my shoulders, hefting me off of the ground and taking me to something made of the same material as the basin. It was perfectly shaped for sitting upon, I quickly learned, as he sat me upon it. He used the soft fabric, which I had since fallen in love with, to dry the water from my body. Once I was what he considered decently dry, he discarded the cloth and picked me up yet again, this time carrying me to another room in his home. I glanced at the rest of the rooms he had, trying to take in as much as I could with the scant lighting, and found that his home was actually rather large. But he did not give me much time to gander. He took me to a room equipped with a large box covered in a fabric, and, after closing the door with one of his lower appendages, he placed me upon the box. As it would turn out, the fabric box was very comfortable, much more so than the white basin, and I relaxed as my body sunk into the softness of it. I had to admit, fabric on land was much better than that underwater. It was soft, fluffy even, and it didn't cling to the skin.

Berwald joined me on the fabric box, struggling a bit to pull a layer of the fabric out from underneath me. Once he had succeeded in that, he draped it over us both, and I sighed as it coddled my skin. It was truly lovely. I'd have to ask Berwald about this fabric box, how the humans came up with it, what it was called... But that could wait until I woke, for I was quickly falling back to sleep.

-.-.-+-.-.-

I woke up, already very pleased with the state I was in. I was comfortable, still laying between the fabric box and the layer of fabric that Berwald pulled on top. And I was so warm! I wondered groggily if the fabric box kept itself warm, perhaps it had a little box like the one in the bathroom? But no, that wasn't where the heat was coming from, I quickly realised. It was coming from Berwald.

One of his arms was draped loosely around my form, the other underneath my neck, supporting my head. My nose was brushing against his collar and my arms were curled against his torso. I cursed silently, knowing this had been my doing. Chalk it up to being ectothermic, but I have always had the tendency to seek heat in my sleep, be it from warmer waters or the body heat of another. It would seem that Berwald was on the receiving end of it the night before.

I was in the process of fretting silently, not wanting to wake my host, when he woke on his own. I didn't even have a chance to contemplate what I should do upon his waking, for I feared that he might get angry. I had, after all, invaded his personal space without his permission. However, he didn't seem very bothered by my presence. In fact, he offered me a small smile, using his fingers to smooth back the bangs that had fallen into my face during the night. He offered me a morning greeting, then extracted himself from the fabric box. He traveled over to a door inside of the room, opening it and removing a few articles of shaped fabric like he had been wearing around his body the day before. I decided that this was probably the land creature version of clothing. It seemed to me that they wore it every day, as a way of covering their skin, perhaps protecting it from the elements that they were more often exposed to than Mer.  
He switched out the clothing that he had been wearing to sleep for the ones that he had removed from the small room, then turned my way and opened his arms as if for an embrace. I assumed that he meant to carry me again, and sure enough, when I wrapped my arms around his neck, he hoisted me up with a grunt. He made a noise of surprise as my lower half slid out from underneath the layer of fabric that had been draped across me, and I joined him in that surprise as I saw that my fins had been exchanged for a pair of appendages like a land creature. My surprise wore off much quicker than his, as I remembered the old folktale of the magical Mer that had grafted the ability to change into our species.  
I took a moment to explain this to Berwald, and he asked me about something called the Little Mermaid, and when I looked at him blankly he explained that it was something called a movie. When I showed no reaction to that he seemed to realize his mistake, and promised to explain it to me later. He then asked me if I knew how to use my new appendages, which he called 'legs.' I told him no, that I'd never been put in a situation in which I would have needed to use them. He nodded, opting to simply carry me for the time being.  
However, if the flush on his face was an indicator, something about my new appendages made him feel a bit embarrassed. I brought this up, and he explained that humans always wear clothing over the lower halves of their bodies. He said that this region of the body was considered taboo. I had to ask him what the word 'humans' meant, (and learned that that was their word for land creature.) He placed me back on the bed, and returned to the small room where he had obtained his clothing, pulling out another set and holding it up to me. He shook his head, returning the clothing to the small room, taking out another set and holding it up to me as well. The second set was a bit smaller, and after what seemed to be a short mental debate, he handed it to me. Next, he went to a box made out of wood, pulled on a handle, and a smaller box slid out of place. From this box he removed another article of clothing, handing it to me as well.

I took them from him, holding them in my hands. He looked at me expectantly, and I looked back at him just as expectantly. It took him a moment to realize that I had absolutely no idea what to do, and he took the clothing from my hands, laying the pile on the bed next to me. He took one piece at a time, showing me how to put it on, as well as telling me the name of each article. By the time we had finished, I was wearing a boxers, a jeans, and a shirt. Once I was what he considered decent, he picked me up again.  
He took me into a room towards the front of the house, sitting me upon something similar to the fabric box, though it was shaped very differently. Instead of a flat box, this one was bent in half, providing a place to rest your back. He moved over to a box that had a shiny black finish to it. He pressed a few buttons on this box, and the face of this box that was closest to me lit up, displaying a portrait that moved accompanied by sounds. I gasped, never having seen a marvel like this before. He picked up a box that was small enough to hold in one hand, covered in innumerable buttons. He pushed a few of them and the picture on the box changed. Whereas before the picture had looked like a real person, it now displayed something that a Mer child might have drawn in the sand. Still, I was enraptured by the moving pictures, and when the character began to sing I was filled with delight. Once he was sure that I was comfortable, he moved into another room that was connected to the one that I was in. I was too distracted by the moving pictures to really pay attention to what he was doing, but he was making a lot of noise.

A few minutes later I couldn't help but sniff hungrily at the air, for a lovely scent was wafting in from the room that Berwald was occupying. Suddenly less interested in the moving pictures, I tried to make my way over to the room. Of course, unaccustomed to my new appendages, I didn't have much luck. I fell almost immediately, crumbling into an undignified pile on the floor. I huffed indignantly, reaching my hand up and grabbing at the fabric box that I had just left, using it as leverage to lift myself up off the ground. Once I was vertical I tried again to make my way towards the room, but nearly fell again. I growled with frustration, suddenly impressed with the land creatures' ability to get around with these appendages. I tried to think of Berwald, picture him as traveled with them, how he traveled. As I recalled, it was one 'leg' and then the other. I gave this a try, and though I was unsteady at first, I eventually got the hang of it and was able to make my way to the room where Berwald was, albeit far from gracefully.

He seemed very surprised to see me, and help me sit down in a wooden contraption. I asked him what it was called, and he explained that it was a 'chair.' He then continued to explain all of the other boxes that I had been using. The fabric box from the night before was a 'bed,' the fabric box from earlier that day was a 'couch,' the moving picture box was called a 'television,' and the smaller box all the buttons was called a 'remote.' I wondered briefly why all of these human contraptions were box shaped, but didn't bother with asking. He then explained that each room had a name. The room where I had initially been sleeping was called the bathroom. The second room I slept in, with him, was the bedroom. The room with the couch and the television was the living room, and the room we were currently in was called the kitchen.

Apparently, each of these rooms was meant to serve a separate purpose; the bathroom was for bathing, the bedroom was for sleeping, the living room (which he said could also be called the sitting room) was meant for relaxing, and the kitchen was for cooking and eating. When I expressed wonder at this, he asked if that was not how it was done under the sea. I admitted that I didn't know, as I had always lived in the cave, and it was most likely different from the lifestyle of any other Mer. He asked me how life in the cave had worked, and I did my best to explain my living arrangements to him.

I recounted how we had something similar to a bedroom, but it was shared amongst several Mer. We had no beds, instead shared nests of supposedly inedible seagrass, but those didn't last long once our feeding ground had withered away. Turns out it was edible. After that, we had to rely upon the comfort of others during sleep. I told him of my sleeping partner, a Violet-Eyes a bit younger than I, very similar in appearance. I explained that I practically raised this Mer myself, as I had been the only one with enough patience to deal with such a young child. Perhaps if I had been a bit older at the time I would have simply abandoned him, but I was still too close to my childhood to harden my heart like that. I had taught this Mer the rules of our small society, sharing with him what little food I was able to get as well as my sleeping area, which until then had been solely mine.

I quickly learned that this Violet-Eyes had just recently been separated from his family, an older brother and a mother. For a long time he insisted that once he had gained enough strength, he would return to his family. But, as with all Violet-Eyes, he eventually gave up, resigning himself to our hidden lifestyle and accepting that his family was most likely dead. As harsh as it might seem, that was what was best for him. No matter how strong a Violet-Eyes might get, the entire Mer population was on high alert, always looking for us, hoping to reap the monetary award provided for any tips leading to the capture of a Violet-Eyes. Eventually, he would've been caught and killed.

Once he had settled into his new life, he became an asset for me, though we had different feeding shifts we always shared what little we found. We tried to keep one another entertained as best we could, making up quiet games that we could play in the sand, so as not to disturb the other Violet-Eyes. Once we had reached an age where childhood was far behind us, we instead entertained one another with conversation. Our relationship went on like this for a long time, and then one day he just stopped talking. No matter what I did, he never spoke another word to me. That's not to say that he began avoiding me; we still shared a sleeping area, and he still listened to me when I talked. He just wouldn't speak anymore. I never learned why.

As for the bathroom, I explained that being underwater meant that such things were rarely necessary. I had heard that normal Mer, those without violet eyes, would sometimes find a waterfall and let strong current flow over their bodies as a way of removing any excess vegetation that might have clung to them. But Violet-Eyes rarely traveled more than a few feet away from the mouth of the cave, leaving us relatively clean for the most part. On occasion we, along with a partner, would take turns grooming the hair of one another, though this was more for social interaction and comfort than it was for hygiene.

Berwald explained that the bathroom was also where land creatures… Relieved themselves. We had a small opening at the back of the cave that was used for this.

We did have something similar to the living room. When we weren't sleeping or eating, most of the Violet-Eyes convened to the largest part of the cave, using the space to converse with one another, trade items, or simply bask in the presence of other living creatures. Mer, after all, are horribly sociable creatures, and Violet-Eyes are no exception. It makes it incredibly hard for us to live in this solitary lifestyle. It truly goes against every fiber of our being. Hence why the Violet-Eyes tend to collect together, even in hiding. It's much riskier than if we were to hide on our own, but we'd waste away from loneliness if we did that.

And then the kitchen. It took me quite a few minutes to explain our eating system. There was no cooking for us, everything was eaten raw and immediately. There was no time for us to add spices for flavor, there was rarely enough time to eat at all. I explained that we had to take turns, had to have feeding rotations in order to feed all of the Mer in the cave.

The entire time that I was telling him about my life, he seemed to be growing increasingly sad. And I suppose, to anyone who wasn't used to it, my life probably was pretty sad. Who am I kidding? Even I consider it sad. But I was alive, and that was more than I could have hoped for elsewhere.

By the time I was finished, Berwald had finished with his cooking, and he transferred the food onto what he called a plate, placing it in front of me and telling me to dig in. I asked him what this phrase meant, and he told me 'to eat.' I couldn't argue with that and did as I was told. He sat next to me in another chair, and "dug in"as well. But I wasn't really paying him any mind; I was way too busy with the amazing food that he had prepared for me. I couldn't remember anything having tasted this good in my life, and I scarfed it down, scared that someone might take it from me. Berwald threw me a glance, but didn't question it, allowing me to finish the food as I pleased. He even gave me more when I had finished, letting me gobble that up as well.

I asked for more, but he chided me at that point, telling me that if I really ate as little as I made it seem that I might hurt myself by eating too much. I grumbled quietly to myself, but didn't argue against him, letting him take my plate. I waited in the chair, not sure what I was meant to do after eating, and also just liking the presence of Berwald near me. Despite the scowl to his face, he was turning out to be a lovely companion. He only said what was necessary, but I got the feeling that he would be an excellent listener, something I personally needed in a friend. A few of the Violet-Eyes knew that I could be quite the chatterbox when I had the opportunity.

Once Berwald was done cleaning the plates (which is what I assumed he was doing) he helped me out of the chair, wrapping his arm underneath mine to steady me as he helped me travel back into the living room. I finally got around to asking him what this form of travel was called, and learned that it was walking. He said to give him a few minutes, and then we would go outside to practice my walking. For the time being, he instructed me to continue watching the television. I nodded and allowed him to exit the room, hearing him close the door to what I guessed was the bathroom.

On the television, I watched the tale of a young, bald land creature and his friends who were on a mission to save the world from other land creatures that could somehow shoot fire out of their appendages. The bald one's female friend was able to move water to her will. The bald one, on the other hand, was capable of controlling any element he so chose, despite being the most incapable character in the group. When Berwald returned, I questioned him about this controlling of the elements, and he explained with a small smile that this was simply a children's story, brought to life using animation. When I asked him about animation, he told me that it was a technique in which humans draw several pictures, put them together, and then made them move. The result was what they called cartoons. I didn't understand most of the words that he said, but I nodded, not wanting to bother him with explaining it again.

Berwald pushed a button on the remote, resulting in the moving pictures fading to black. I frowned at the loss of the new form of entertainment, but allowed him to lift me from the couch and onto my legs. I was thankful that he didn't let go of me, as I would have fallen without his support. He waited for me to get used to having the weight on my new appendages, then began forward slowly, making sure that I could keep up with him easily. He let me outside of his home, bringing me to a path that we followed into a small forest. While I was learning to walk, he tried to fill the silence, however awkwardly, with idle conversation.

He stopped in the middle of his sentences, which were currently about his life, to explain what things around us were. The path that we were currently walking on was made out of concrete, and was called a sidewalk. He explained that these sidewalks were built nearly everywhere that humans lived to show them where it was safe to walk. He said that next to sidewalks there was often something similar, called a street or road, and that they were used to drive on. He then had to explain to me about contraptions they called cars. They were made out of a substance called metal, and were used for humans to get around faster. He said that when we returned to his house he would show me his.

I realized how very little I truly knew about the world. We Mer really thought ourselves to be incredibly superior beings, but we were so cut off from everything by living in the ocean. Then again, the land creatures knew nearly nothing about the sea. It seemed unfair that no creature could occupy both. Well, no horribly intelligent creature, that is. What a waste it was for there to be so much unknown to both our species. But it wasn't like I could explain that to the other Mer; if I so much as looked at the ocean again I'd likely be killed. A few pearls welled up at the thought of never returning to the ocean again. But I decided that it was better to be alive on the land than dead in the ocean.

A/N: Okei guys, sorry for the delay. I promise I didn't intend to make you wait this long, but, as those of you who follow me on devi/facebook/tumblr may know, my laptop kind of died, very suddenly, and I have yet to get her repaired. I think I just need a new battery (I hope anyway.) I'm getting her checked tomorrow. But the only computer I have access to right now is the decrepit old family PC. I've been making due, but all of my most recent chapters are only saved on my laptop (her name is Baby.) I only backup every few months. But, I realised earlier that I had chapter two of Violet-Eyes saved, so I decided to go ahead an put it up.  
I just want you all to be aware that, due to my lack of access to chapter four, the update gap from chapter 3 to chapter four will likely be pretty immense. I haven't been able to work on ANYTHING since Baby bit the dust. I'll try to get everything up and running as fast as possible, but bear with me, please.  
Okei, in my life right now: I'm currently on a cosplay rampage. I've recently decided to start making my own costumes. So I've been teaching myself to sew and read patterns, but it's been an uphill battle for me so far. But I can only improve with time. The first costume I'm working on is Natsuo and You ji from LOVELESS. I'm doing Natsuo, and a friend of mine is doing Youji. I picked these two because their outfits are pretty simple. The hardest part is going to be the sailor collar. Wish me luck, I'm pattern and fabric shopping tomorrow!  
I'm also styling my fist wig, to go with my Organization XIII coat. Roxas' hair is unreal. But it looks much better than it did when I bought it prestyled. I've still got a lot more work to do on it, but I'll persevere.  
I've been working like a mad woman to save up money for my drive to Canada. My friend and I are attending a Supernatural con in Toronto, and I'm going to cosplay Meg 1.0. Anyone else going? I get to take a picture with Misha Collins! I can't even express the level of fangirling that is happening for me right now.  
I'll let you guys go for now, I need to get some sleep before I work tomorrow. (At ten in the morning. Yuck.) I bid you all a wonderful whatever time it is, and I'd like to thank you all for your reviews so far. I'd love if you'd leave me another one!  
As always, feel free to check out my facebook page and/or my ask pages. Find links in my profile! 


	3. Chapter 3

By the time we returned to Berwald house, I think it could be said that I was grasping the concept of walking, more or less. I still required Berwald's support, but I was much more confident in using my new legs. Berwald promised that we would get more practice in the days to come. He said that I was learning surprisingly fast, and that at the rate I was going, it would probably only be a few weeks before I could walk on my own. I smiled at the praise, hoping he was right as I didn't fancy the idea of relying on him for the rest of my time on land (which would probably be the rest of my life.)

Still, I was exhausted by the time he sat me on the couch. It wasn't just my new legs either. My abdomen was sore from the effort of keeping me upright, and my lungs burned, unaccustomed to being used for such long periods of time. After all, Violet-Eyes rarely ever left the cave. I'd only been to the surface once before, when I was very young. I wondered vaguely if I'd be able to breathe underwater now that my body had adapted for the land. It was a theory I'd have to test later though, for currently I was too tired to do much more than sit on the couch and return my attention to the television that Berwald turned on again.

This time he joined me, explaining anything that I bothered to ask him about, which actually turned out to be a lot. Eventually I stopped paying attention, devoting myself instead to conversation with Berwald. I found him much more interesting, and he didn't seem to mind my company. Somehow we got onto the topic of the Violet-Eyes yet again, and I wondered aloud if humans did not have something similar. He frowned at that, taking a moment to collect his answer.

It was his turn to explain about his people, but he seemed a bit ashamed about it. He told me that racism ran amok in his world, that people hated one another based solely on the color of their skin, or the land from which they came. He also said that homosexuality was often scorned. When I asked him to define this new word, he said that it referred to people who loved someone of the same gender. I was a bit surprised to hear these details; we Mer were nothing like that. The only group we ever discriminated against was the Violet-Eyes. Humans had so many things to hate about one another, it truly amazed me that the race hadn't wiped itself out with war. I asked Berwald of he was part of this discrimination, which he vehemently denied. He said that humans had been getting better about it recently.

He then got around to asking me why Violet-Eyes are so hated amongst my people. I sighed, having dreaded the retelling of this story. But I knew that the questions were coming, and I knew the story well.

_Centuries ago, Violet-Eyes were considered a normal part of the Mer race. They roamed just as freely as someone with blue, green, brown, or hazel eyes did. In fact, because of the rarity of the color, Violet-Eyes were considered exotic and beautiful, something to be cherished and sought. One was considered lucky they were able to find one._

_But all of that changed with a single Mer._

_Everyone had heard of Ivan, he was a famous magician in his time, an infamous magician in mine. As far as anyone knew, he was a peaceful Mer, only using his magic to support himself and benefit the needy. Unfortunately for him, his younger sister was a little too attached to him. Though she never caused direct harm to him, the same could not be said for those around him. She followed him ruthlessly wherever he went, causing trouble and hurting those he met. He constantly confronted her about it, but never to any avail. She would not relent._

_Unable to do anything about it, he was forced to try to continue his work while ignoring his sister, a task she made incredibly difficult with her constant presence. Still, he did his best. Eventually he found a woman he loved, and they married. He cast a spell over them, one to hopefully make it impossible for his sister to find them._

_Unfortunately, Natalya was also a great witch. Some would say, even greater than Ivan himself. Though she was unable to find him for many years, eventually she figured out how to undo the spell he cast. And for Ivan, that meant that there was hell to pay. When he woke one day, his wife had been slaughtered, his children hung upside down and left to bleed into the water slowly. Natalya was nowhere in sight, and no one knew where she had gone._

_But it didn't matter to Ivan. For by then Ivan was already broken, an empty shell missing a soul. No one is sure when exactly he snapped, whether it was immediately or a few days later, but his sanity was no longer, and his power was far greater than anyone knew. The Mer race was not prepared to face the wrath of Ivan, and he gave them no time to prepare._

_That was the closest the Mer ever came to extinction. In a desperate bid to do away with Natalya, Ivan sent out a shockwave that killed every Mer it came in contact with, including himself._

_One might question why the story has anything to do with the history of the Violet-Eyes, why they are so hated. But it's really quite simple. Ivan and Natalya both had violet eyes._

I finished my story, finding Berwald's face to be rather horrified. I couldn't blame him, it wasn't a fun tale. He asked me if it was true, to which I responded yes. If there was one story that every Mer knew to be true, it was this one. The worst part about it for us Violet-Eyes was that we sympathized with him. Everyone sympathized with him. We couldn't hate him for what he done despite the fact that he had condemned us all to live in hiding or not at all. Even those without the violet eyes couldn't help but like him. But all magicians have the same trait, the same eyes. The Mer have simply become too scared of magic, would rather do without it than risk another massacre.

That isn't to say that all Violet-Eyes have magic. In fact only a rare few of us do, and even fewer are able to use it well. I personally have displayed a bit of magic ability, but it's nothing truly amazing. The most useful talent I have is my ability to talk to other races, but it's also become something of a curse. When I fed, I was forced to listen to the cries of my prey. For that reason, I never developed my magic, doing my best to block it out so that I wouldn't have to hear the anguish anymore.

He was quiet for a while, letting the story sink in. He didn't ask any more questions, suggesting we instead watch a movie. When I showed confusion about the word 'movie,' he explained that it was much like the television, except that it was much longer and usually considered better. I agreed, and he decided that we would watch the one that he had mentioned earlier in the day, _The Little Mermaid_. He asked me to point out anything that contradicted true Mer life.

-.-.-+-.-.-

To say that that movie was horribly inaccurate would be an understatement. Hardly anything about it was true, but I understood what the humans were trying to achieve with it. The important part of it was the love story between the two main characters, and the subliminal message therein. I was a bit outraged when Berwald told me that most people consider this movie to be the gospel truth about my people. Or rather, I was when he explained to me what he meant by 'gospel truth.' He had to remind me that most people considered my race fictional. I frowned, but said no more on the subject.

After our movie Berwald decided it was time for another meal, and I perked up at the prospect. He raised an eyebrow, obviously curious about my eating habits. He asked why I was so excited about getting food, and I explained that it was rare that I got more than a bite to eat at each feeding shift. What he had fed me that morning had been approximately equivalent to an entire week's worth of meals. I could feel the mortification rolling off of him as he hurried into the kitchen, quickly putting something together for me to eat. I thanked him with a smile, trying to take my time with this one.

I'm not really sure what it is that he made me, but it was just delicious as the first meal he had given me that day. When I asked him what it was, he said that it was called pasta. He explained that it was a quick dish to make, so a lot of people relied on it for late-night dinners. And I thought to myself, _if this is considered quick food, I'd love to see a meal that took a long time to prepare_. Berwald ate as well, cleaning up after us once we both finished.

We spent most of the day after that simply lounging around, seeing as I was too tired after our walk to do much else. And the exhaustion just kept piling onto my shoulders. I never knew how truly difficult it was for the humans to get around. Berwald walked around as if it was no trouble for him, and I guess maybe it wasn't. He'd been getting around like that his entire life, after all. When the sun had set enough for me to know that it was evening time, he got up and made us another meal, this one bigger than the two before it. And, wouldn't you know it, this was even better too.

When it began getting dark outside, Berwald suggested we get ready for bed, and I found myself looking forward to it. I apparently had become quite fond of the "bed"in my short time of knowing it. But that really shouldn't come as much of a surprise; the closest thing I had to a bed where I came from was a fellow emaciated body that clung to me as if for life as we rested at the bottom of the cave. Needless to say, it wasn't the most comfortable arrangement.

Berwald helped me out of the clothes that he had given me earlier in the day, and helped me into some that he pulled out of what he called a 'dresser.' He explained that the new clothing was used for sleeping, that it was made to be more comfortable. It took a long time to find some for me, and he said that the reason for his hesitation that morning, and at the moment, was because all of his clothing was much too big for me. He decided that we were going to have to go and get me some clothes of my own, for his simply weren't going to do. He said that he'd go shopping the next day, so I'd only have to make do for the night.

I smiled, thanking him in advance. I wanted to protest; I knew that it was going to cost him something. But I really didn't have a choice in the matter… As far as I was aware, my stay on land was going to be indefinite. The strange thing about it was, a day ago I would've been scared of the prospect, but now it didn't seem like such a bad idea. In fact, life on land so far had been undoubtedly better than life under the sea for me. Berwald was kind and generous, there was no one out to get me, and I didn't have to starve. All in all, it seemed like I was going to have a pretty good life on land. Well, so long as Berwald's kindness held out.

But I had a feeling that it would. As far as I could tell, every bone in Berwald's body was full of kindness. I mean, it takes a lot to help out a total stranger. Even more if that total stranger is from a different species altogether. But Berwald… Berwald helped me without even asking a single question. He brought me to his home, gave me a safe place to stay, allowed me to share his bed, fed me, and gave me clothes to wear. He answered all of my questions, and was genuinely curious about me. Suffice to say, I managed to get fished out by the kindest human on earth.

-. -. - + -. -. -

I woke up, cuddled against Berwald. I smiled to myself, doing my best not to move. I didn't want to wake him. I had been staying with Berwald a little over four weeks, and I think we both realized that I was becoming a permanent fixture. Truth be told, I had nowhere else to go really. I didn't know anything about being on land, I was still learning new things every day. There's simply no way I'd be able to survive on my own, and Berwald knew that just as well as I did. Thankfully, he didn't seem to mind my company too much.

In fact, I was starting to think that Berwald quite enjoyed my presence. And, as the weeks wore on, and I noticed that he never had any visitors… Well, I kind of put two and two together. Berwald was lonely. Lonelier than even the Violet-Eyes were. At least we had one another. Berwald didn't have anyone. Not until I showed up, anyway. And, seeing as I didn't really have anywhere else to go, I figured I could stick it out with him.

As promised, he had taken me shopping, and I now had my own wardrobe, hung cleanly next to his in the closet. He even allowed me to pick out my own outfits when I got dressed, though sometimes he would have to correct me when I made a terrible mistake. I've been getting better as of late, though. I've gotten better at walking, too. I still tend to fall over pretty frequently, but I no longer have to rely on the support of Berwald everywhere I go. That's given me a lot more freedom. When Berwald goes to work, I sometimes take walks by myself, familiarizing myself with my new environment. I've even made a couple of friends! And nobody on land seems bothered by my eye color, which is a nice change.

Still, I'm too scared to go anywhere near the ocean. I'm not sure what exactly I think will happen… I'm sure the Hunter gave up on me long ago. I just… I can't bring myself to go towards it. Perhaps because I'm scared that if I do, I'd want to go back. The thought is always looming at the back of my mind. It's very dull, but there is an ache in my heart. It's an ache that I doubt I'll ever be able to get rid of, for I was meant for the ocean. No matter how well adapted I might be to land now, it's not where I belong.

But it is starting to feel like home. I'm very comfortable living with Berwald, and he's doing his best to help me settle into human life. He's slowly teaching me how to cook like he does, and I'm proud to say that I can cook a few things by myself. Admittedly though, I do tend to hurt myself pretty often. Luckily for me, humans have this thing called a Band-Aid, and I have become fast friends with the little contraptions. They've saved the well-being of my fingers countless times. And I've gained quite a bit of weight. I was actually worried that I would become like the large humans on television, so overcome with weight that they couldn't walk without the assistance of a machine. But Berwald assured me that it was healthy and very flattering, and I've not given it a second thought since.

As thanks for the cooking lessons, I've made a habit of bringing lunch to Berwald while he is at work. The first time, I simply brought the bag that he had forgotten to him. I knew that it contained his lunch, and that he would likely be hungry the entire day if I didn't bring it to him. I nearly got lost on the way, seeing as he'd only taken me to his place of work once before. But somehow I made it, and he seemed surprised if not delighted to see me. It was one of the few times I've seen Berwald smile, and suddenly that became a goal for me; to make him smile.

So after that, I did my best to better myself in the area of cooking. I even practiced secretly when Berwald wasn't at home, slowly improving until I considered myself good enough to actually give something I made to Berwald. I made sure that the lunch he packed mysteriously 'vanished' right before he left, giving him no time to make a new one before he had to go. Then, as soon as he was gone, I got to work on a new lunch. I tried to remember everything that he expressed favoritism for, then packed it all into the little plastic containers and headed his way. I was just in time to catch him for his lunch break, and sure enough, I earned a big smile that day.

And since that day, I've made it my personal job to prepare lunch for him every day. It's the least I can do, considering all he does for me. And believe me, he does a lot for me. I've taken on a few other jobs as well, like cleaning around the house… But really there isn't a lot that I can do. I'd like to get a job like he has, one that pays money that could help him out. I'm sure that I'm no small financial burden. Unfortunately, I doubt I'll be able to get a job until I've familiarized myself better with the human world. As is, I would simply be too suspicious. Someone would surely catch on that I wasn't exactly… Human.

But Berwald never complained, never even mentioned it. When I tried to bring it up he would change the subject, or assure me that I was no trouble at all. I wished he'd tell me the truth. I want him to be honest with me, and I already know that I'm a burden, so he might as well just tell me. But I doubt he ever will.

He finally stirred, taking a deep breath that eventually morphed into a yawn. I smiled as he drew me closer with the arms he had just stretched, burying his nose in my hair as he relaxed again. I giggled, alerting him to my wakefulness. He shifted, scooting back a bit so that I had freedom to move as I pleased. He waited until I too had stretched, and allowed me to get out of bed first. As always, I took the first shower while he made breakfast, then we ate together. Following that he took his own shower while I made him lunch, then he'd get dressed and head out, leaving me to my own devices until he returned. During my free time I would clean, take a walk, watch the television, practice my cooking, and sometimes I just daydreamed. A few hours after noon, usually around four, he'd return home and make dinner for the two of us. On occasion we would go out for dinner, usually only when Berwald was really tired though. What we did after dinner was up to Berwald. Sometimes he'd want to go and do something, other times he'd simply want to partake in the things that I'd been doing, like watching television. Whatever it was, it didn't matter to me. I was just happy to be with him.

I guess I should mention my growing fondness for Berwald. At first I found him entirely too frightening to be likeable. But I was mistaken; he turned out to be a very endearing person. Very sweet and courteous, always thinking of my well being before his own. I grew to love the time we spent in the company of one another, and I looked forward to it all day. Even if it was simply taking a walk or conversing in front of the television, it didn't matter. Maybe I was overly excited. After all, it had been ages since I had come across someone who was genuinely interested in what I had to say, and had something to say in return.

It also helped that he waited patiently as I spoke, waiting until I had finished a thought to respond. Most of the Violet-Eyes would interrupt me mid-sentence, or ignore me all together. Mer are already social creatures, and I am the worst of the worst. I can talk and talk and talk and never stop. But Berwald is wonderful at listening, so it ended up working out. Though, sometimes, I think the things I say go over his head. Mostly things about Mer. And that's fair enough, we are a different species after all. For the most part, if he doesn't understand something he'll ask me about it.  
And we're both learning new things about ourselves too. I found out that it takes just as long to go from my legs back to my tail as it did the other way around. I found this out when I fell asleep in the white basin. (I've since been informed that it's called a bathtub, or bath for short.) Berwald was pretty surprised when he fished me out, only to find a fish. Well, half of one anyway. I'm actually kind of thankful for the delay though. It allows me to bathe regularly without having to worry too much about the change. My legs do get a bit scaly if I dawdle too much in the shower though. And it's pretty much unavoidable if I take a bath, so it's pretty rare that I indulge in one. Berwald told me that adult humans rarely take baths anyway. He said they don't have enough time for it usually, so it's something they partake in as a special treat. But he added that I shouldn't let the conventions of the adult lifestyle keep me from enjoying baths. And he even got me some special salts that melt in the water and make it smell lovely. So I try to take one once a week.

And, he doesn't know, but sometimes I add normal salt to the water. He has a big bag full of salt chunks in his storage room, and I borrow a cup or so to put in the water. I know it's pathetic, but it is as close as I can come to seawater, and it comforts the ache in my heart, if only minutely. I do it secretly because I don't want Berwald to worry for me. He has enough to fret about on my behalf. You should have seen him when he thought that he needed to provide separate living quarters for me.  
After the first two nights of sharing a bed with me, he suddenly decided that I must hate sharing my sleeping space, and he got up early to begin cleaning up the spare room. When I managed to stumble my way into the room to see what he was doing, he informed me that he was tidying up so that I could occupy the room. He promised to get me my own bed and everything. He spent the rest of the day fussing about the room. I eventually caught on to what he meant (I was still getting used to the human things he spoke of) and assured him that I didn't mind sharing the bed with him, so long as he was comfortable with it. After all, as I had previously mentioned, I had been sharing my sleeping area with another Mer for years.

He calmed down after that, and the entire escapade was forgotten in a day or two. Truth be told, I was actually a bit frightened of sleeping alone, especially in an unfamiliar place. I had grown much too used to the comfort of arms around me while I slept. Thankfully, he raised no qualms, and was quite affectionate in his sleep. Though we typically fell asleep apart from one another, he would roll over at some point and draw me near him, or lay his head upon my chest. But I didn't mind, it was nice to be held, and very warm.

Today I had decided to take a walk while Berwald was working. Thanks to my restlessness, the house was very clean, perhaps overly so. That left me little to do inside, and it was a truly lovely day outside. Perhaps I could even meet one of my friends, I thought. So I donned my shoes, already a bit worn out from my feeble attempts at walking. But they were becoming more and more comfortable the more I wore them, so I couldn't complain. I headed outside, locking the door behind me as Berwald had taught me to, putting the key into my pocket. My walks had become frequent enough that Berwald invested in a key for me to carry around with me, in addition to the one he had.  
I took a familiar path, one that led to a public meeting ground known as a park. I had stumbled across a few of them during my adventures, and I found them to be pleasant. They were always full of plants and people, each with a different reason for being there. Some came to relax in the sun, others came to enjoy eating outside on a blanket. Some brought their children to play on the monstrous and garishly colored equipment apparently made for just that purpose. Others still were simply passing through on their way to and from home. And quite a few were walking around aimlessly, just like me. I had made my first friend (apart from Berwald) at the park. He too had been walking, and he helped me up when I fell over. I thanked him, and was on my way, but I was quick to fall over again. At that point he became concerned for my safety, and offered his company while I walked in the park. I agreed, and a few minutes later we found ourselves fast friends.

Before he left, I learned that his name was Matthew. He told me that he was actually grateful for my company, as it was rare he had any. He was very soft spoken and easily overlooked, so he didn't have many friends. I admitted that I didn't either. He seemed surprised, but he grew more comfortable with me after I had said it. At some point we delved deep into conversation, letting our legs take us wherever they pleased as we picked through several topics.

He confided that he was walking in the park to escape his lover. Though he assured me that he loved him deeply, his lover was very loud and sometimes obnoxious, and Matthew liked to get away and take some time to his self every once in a while. I decided that was okei, and hoped sincerely that I wasn't interrupting his alone time. He shook his head, informing me that he was fond of my company. I was nice and easy to talk to, even if I was a bit peculiar. (That would be thanks to the whole "not being a human" thing.) We parted ways a bit sadly, but he let me know that he always went out for a walk around the same time of day, and he gave me a piece of paper with several strange symbols upon it. (Berwald informed me that it was his name and phone number when I showed it to him.)  
So I thought to myself, as I was walking in that direction, that the chances were high that I would run into Matthew. Today was, after all, the day that he normally took a walk. And that sounded nice; I could use a conversation partner. Not that Berwald was a bore, but a fresh face is nice once in a while. 

A/N: I think it's kind of funny that it took me longer to get chapter three out than it did for chapter two, considering I didn't have my computer when I posted chapter two. Oh well, it seems I lost track of time. I'm also trying to keep ahead of myself, so I resolved not to post chapter three until I had finished five, which I did last night. So here it is! I would have had it up earlier, but I wanted to edit it beforehand. It's a good thing I did, too, because this was wrought with errors. I must have been pretty tired when I wrote this chapter, because some of my sentences didn't even make sense. And I noticed that I replaced a lot of words with ones that rhymed, like we and he, and other such things. They were silly mistakes, so I'm glad I read through.

So, I'm super psyched for Supernatural Toronto. I know one reader is going, anyone else? If you're there, and you see me, you should def say hi! I'm going to be dressed up as Meg Masters 1.0 on Saturday. And I'm going to be doing a panel at Dodeca-Con next weekend, as well as entering the cosplay contest. I'll let you guys know if I place! (I'm not getting my hopes up, despite it being a tiny con, there are always those surprisingly awesome cosplayers!) I'm dressing as Ciel Phantomhive from Black Butler/Kuroshitsuji. You can check out my outfit on my deviantart page. If you need a link, check out my profile!

I hope you guys are liking confused little MerTino. I've grown pretty fond of him myself, but I hardly count. Sorry if the story seems a little fast paced, but I have the tendency to dwell on needless domestic details, so I'm trying to get to the climax a little faster this time around. We'll see how that goes for me. I hope you're still entertained by my writing, I'm doing my best to improve, bit by bit!

Joo, so I'm not even going to lie... I might have to take a little break and finish Kingdom Hearts DDD. I don't know if everyone is aware, but I'm seriously the biggest Kingdom Hearts fan in my freaking state, if not the entire country of America. I'd say the whole world, but the Japanese can be a little... Ahem, anyway, I've been so worried about getting chapters written that I actually haven't finished the game yet, and that's seriously bothering me. I want to get it done before 1.5 Remix comes out. So I'm going to ask you guys to be patient with me if the next update takes a little too long. I'll try to hurry and finish, promise!

Okei, I'll let you guys go for now. Thanks as always for reading, and feedback is always appreciated! Feel free to check out my ask pages and my facebook page. My ask pages are kind of lonely. They're really the only excuse I have to draw something, and I won't do it otherwise! So if you have any questions for me or the characters of any of my stories, feel free to go ask! They don't have to be super serious questions. You could ask Berwald what his favorite color is! Anything goes! For realz this time, thank you for reading, and see you next time!

KuroRiya

九六りや


	4. Chapter 4

When I returned from my walk, Berwald was already at home, diligently working on getting dinner cooked. I called to him from the doorway, letting him know I was home. He called back, welcoming me and beckoning me into the kitchen. Once I had removed my shoes and made the short trip, he asked me to sample something he was cooking, and I was quick to oblige. No matter what he made, it was always tasty. And, lucky for me, he seemed to like seafood. I guess it would make sense; he fished in his free time for some extra income, on top of his office job.  
After I had assured him that the food was tasty, he asked me about my walk. He always did that. Perhaps it was a simple common courtesy, and he probably wasn't that interested in my conversations with Matthew, but he always asked, and he always listened attentively. And, of course, I returned the favor, asking him about his day at work. It was never very interesting, consisting mostly of paperwork and annoying coworkers, but I made sure to listen to every word. He finished up dinner and brought it out to the table for us. We sat down across from each other and began eating, remaining silent through most of the meal.

"Tino?" He asked, drawing my attention away from my plate.  
"Mhm?" I prompted as I continued eating. It had taken me a while, but I had grown skilled enough with forks and spoons that I could eat without paying much attention to my food.  
"...Don' ya... Don' ya miss the ocean?" He wondered. I paused, taking in the words he had said, and set my fork down.  
"Why? Do you..." I hesitated, going over the possible meanings of his question. "Do you want me to leave?" I questioned, already feeling hurt by the thought of it. I thought that he enjoyed my company, but it would appear that the feeling wasn't as mutual as I believed. But his face, which typically remains pretty stoic, took on a look of mild panic.

"No! O' course no'! Ah jus'... Ah assumed ya'd be missin' it. It's yer home, after all." I sighed, relieved that he wasn't trying to get me to leave.

"Oh, okei. Sorry. And I suppose I do miss it a little." I lied. I didn't have words powerful enough to describe my homesickness, but he didn't need to know that. "But... I like it here a lot too. And I'm much safer." And that was pure truth. Even if the hunter had given up, it would be next to impossible to find my way back to the caves, let alone get there without being caught. "What I really miss is swimming." I admitted.  
"Hmm..." He replied, showing that he needed a moment to think. "Well, Ah know it isn' the same, bu' maybe Ah coul' take ya to a pool?" He suggested. I could only blink stupidly at him, as 'pool' was not a familiar word. "Um... It's like the bath, bu' much bigger." He explained.  
"Oh, I think I saw one on television! But... Aren't they public places? I'd start to change back if I was in for more than a couple of hours..." I pointed out, and he nodded.

"Ah coul' ask aroun' and see if we couldn' ren' one out for a day. Ah've hear' tha' they sometimes do it for Muslim women. Oh, and birthday parties, now that Ah think abou' it..."  
"So, it would be just you and me?" I wondered.  
"Ja."  
"Really? Can you do that? It would be wonderful to swim for a while! Oh... But I bet that would cost you a lot of money... That's what "rent" means, right? That you have to pay money? I don't want you to spend so much on me for something I don't really need." I said, my spirits falling already.  
"Don' worry abou' it. Ah can give ya a trea' every now and then." He assured, giving me a soft smile. I pouted for a moment, but eventually returned it.  
"Well, alright, if you insist." I exclaimed dramatically, getting up to take my empty plate to the sink. As I passed by, I whispered, "Thank you, Berwald."

-.-.-+-.-.-  
Surprisingly enough, it was actually pretty easy to find a pool that was willing to clear out for a day. The pool belonged to a local school (a place where human children go to learn about things.) But when school was not in session, they would occasionally open it up to the public, or rent it out for parties. It was, thankfully, indoors, so it would be difficult for anyone to see me when I changed. He scheduled a day, reserving the entire pool just for us. When he informed me of the plan, I found myself unable to contain my excitement. I hadn't had an opportunity to swim since I'd left the ocean, and I was looking forward to finally stretching the muscles I hadn't utilized in ages.

He warned me that the water probably wouldn't agree with me. He said they used chemicals to keep it clean, and that it would burn my eyes if I opened them. I frowned, but figured it couldn't be too unbearable if the humans swam in it. And he solved the burning eye problem by buying me something called 'goggles.' They were similar to spectacles, but they were strapped around the face and made to seal the water out. With those at hand, I was fully prepared for my day in the water. All I had left was to wait.

It seemed like years before the fateful Thursday, but when it finally came I made sure Berwald knew. I woke up after only a couple hours of sleep, before even the sun had risen, and wiggled my way out of bed. I took my shower, then went to wake Berwald up. He groaned as I shook his shoulder, glancing at the alarm clock on his bedside table. It was only five twenty, and he looked at me like my sanity was crumbling. But, with a few words of urgency from me and ten minutes of cuddling from him, he was up and making breakfast for the two of us. I made the bitter black drink of energy (also known as coffee) to make up for waking him so early. We couldn't even get into the pool until ten, leaving us with nearly five whole hours of nothing to occupy. If we ate slowly, that might bring us down to four.  
He yawned, transferring the eggs and bacon he had cooked onto plates, getting cheese from the refrigerator to put on top of mine. I thanked him, sitting at the island. He joined me, putting a glass of orange juice in front of me, and we began eating. I tried to go slow, to take up time, but it was all gone before I even knew it was in my mouth. I frowned, drinking my juice as I watched Berwald eat his own meal. He was taking it much slower than I had, sipping his coffee now and then, glancing my way on occasion. I smiled each time he did, fidgeting until he was finished at last. He got up, taking our plates to the sink and scrubbing the remnants off. I came to stand next to him, shifting my weight from foot to foot, wringing my hands together with my excitement. He sighed when he finished putting the plates into the dishwasher, turning my way.  
"How abou' we go ou' for a walk?" He suggested, drying his hands on a small towel that he kept near the sink.  
"Oh, sure! I'll go put shoes on!" I said, walking to the entryway to fulfill my promise. He followed behind, and I could have sworn I heard him chuckle, but it must have been my ears playing tricks on me, because he hardly ever did that.  
Once we both had shoes on, we headed out, walking towards my favorite park. There weren't as many people around at this time of the day, but there were a few people out running. Berwald explained that a lot of people would go for a jog in the morning. Apparently it was better to run early if you wanted to lose weight. I shrugged, not really that interested in the whole "physical exertion" thing. Strength had never been a quality of mine, so why bother with it now?

We walked around the trails a few times, but after an hour Berwald admitted that we would have to find something else to do. After a short debate with himself, he announced that we would do some shopping while we waited, and lead me into town. I wasn't sure what we were shopping for, so I just followed along where he led, gaping at the buildings we passed. I had been into town a few times by then, mostly to and from Berwald's place of work, but I was still amazed by the structures that the humans could build. He took me into a few clothing stores, occasionally picking out things that he requested for me to try on, though we didn't end up buying much of anything. We both acquired a new shirt. Truth be told, the fun for me was the actual experience. It was the first time that he actually let me roam around a store by myself and pick out things that I liked.  
Shopping consumed most of our remaining time, and we headed back to his home to deposit the shopping bag and prepare for the pool. Berwald gathered up all of the things we would need in a bag, then led the way back out of the door. I followed, my excitement rising yet again as we neared the pool.  
Someone was waiting to unlock the door when we arrived. She said that she would be back around five to lock it back up, and then she left. Berwald locked the door behind her, then ushered me inside. He lead me to a small room that had small compartments, made of metal, protruding from the walls. He said they were lockers, and that it was called a locker room. He instructed me to remove my clothes and put them inside one of the many lockers, and I did as I was told. He did the same next to me, exchanging his clothes for a pair of short pants. I blinked, wondering why he was putting clothes on if he was getting in the water. But then, he was a human, and they have this strange obsession with covering themselves, so who was I to argue.  
"Do I need to wear that too?" I asked, pointing at the article with a slight frown.  
"Normally? Ja. Bu' since yer legs are gonna change soon anyway, it'd be bes' if ya wen' withou'." He explained, his cheeks getting a bit red after he looked over at me. I wondered what that was about, but I nodded, trying not to picture what I would look like if my legs started changing while wearing pants. I imagined it to be pretty painful.  
"Right, okei. Are you ready?" I asked eagerly, already heading for the door.  
"Ja, hol' on." He instructed, removing his spectacles and pulling the goggles from the bag, as well as the towels he had brought for us. I tried to wait patiently, but I ended up bouncing up and down next to him. He finally gestured for me to leave the room, and I nearly fell over in my attempt to do so.

When I got into the main room, where the pool was, I could immediately smell something funny. I supposed that it must be the chlorine that Berwald had mentioned, but I never dreamed it would be that strong. Still, I wouldn't be deterred. I was going to swim, chemicals be damned. I turned to Berwald, trying to look as appealing as possible as I asked if I could go. I was already running before he had even nodded his consent. I hopped in with a big splash, elated to be in water at last.

Of course, in my haste I had forgotten the goggles, and I came up for air whining about the burning sensation. He shook his head with a small smile, offering them to me. He helped me put them on and showed me how to press them to my face to seal out the water. I thanked him, then returned to my swimming. True to his word, the goggles kept the water out, and I smiled to myself. I took my first breath under the water, willing my gills to kick into gear again. The water was awful, and it stung a bit as it went through my respiratory system, but it was manageable.  
The thing that wasn't manageable was swimming with legs! How on earth did the humans do it? It was no wonder they were such terrible swimmers. I hoped my fins would form sooner rather than later. In the meantime, I returned to the surface, swimming back to were Berwald was. He had only his legs in the water, the rest of him perched on the edge. I frowned up at him, pulling on his arm in a bid to get him swimming as well. I guess he wasn't expecting it, for he fell in with a splash, scrambling to right himself once he was in the water. He looked my way, sporting a frown, but I could see a bit of humor behind it.

"I thought you were going to swim with me." I pointed out, pouting at him. He sighed, nodding his head.  
"Ja ja, Ah'm in." He agreed, and I grinned happily. I waited a moment, then swam away as quickly as I could with my legs, hoping he would get the hint and chase after me. But he didn't, remaining stationary as he blinked in my general direction. I frowned, returning to him yet again, and pulled on his arms, forcing him to follow me with a bit of effort on my part. I finally got him following behind, but that was all he did; he didn't try to catch me, he just followed behind me at the same pace. I frowned yet again, turning around and swimming a circle around him. I hardly ever got to play, why was he denying me a game? Surely he knew that he was supposed to chase!

I was about to scold him for not being a sport, but I heard the melody from his phone playing. He apparently heard it as well, his face turning in the direction of the spot where he had left our belongings. He sighed, then excused himself, saying he'd be right back. I pouted but let him go, knowing it was probably something important. I returned to swimming alone, heading to the deeper part of the pool. I stayed under for a few minutes, swimming around the entire perimeter. When I came up, Berwald gestured for me to go over to him.

"Hej," he greeted when I made it over to him. "Ah'm really sorry, bu' one of mah coworkers called in." He informed me. I frowned, already knowing where this was going.

"So... We have to leave?" I offered miserably.  
"No, bu' Ah have to go make a business call for 'im. It'll take me a while, Ah jus' wanted to le' ya know." He explained.  
"Oh, okei. I can entertain myself for a bit. Come back soon though, okei?" I smiled when he nodded, sinking back down into the water. He walked back to the locker room, and when I popped my head out of the water once in a while, I could hear his voice echoing throughout the structure.  
-.-.-+-.-.-

By the time Berwald returned from his phone call, my fins had fully formed, and swimming had become much easier. As soon as I spotted him moving toward the edge of the pool, I swam to meet him. I pulled myself up enough to rest my upper body on the ledge, smiling at him happily.  
"Sorry tha' took so long." He apologized, putting his feet into the water again and letting the rest of his body slide in after them. I shook my head.  
"That's alright, as long as you play with me now." I assured, circling around him lazily as he remained upright and stationary in the water. He raised an eyebrow at my demand.  
"An' how do ya wan' to play?" He wondered. I grinned, coming to a stop in front of him.  
"You chase me, of course!" I replied, giggling as I swam away from him. It took him a moment, but he started following after me. He did his best, but after just a few seconds, I realised that there was no way that Berwald had any chance of catching me. He was so far behind, and swimming so slowly... But it was still fun to be chased, and I would feel awful telling Berwald that he's a terrible swimmer, so I slowed my pace, letting him think he was catching up. He seemed pretty proud of himself as he neared, reaching out in a bid to grab the end of my tail. But I was much too quick, speeding up to avoid him. I spared a moment to send a cocky grin over my shoulder.  
We went on like that until Berwald was panting and unable to move anymore. I gloated about my win while he regained his breath. Once he had returned to normal, I decided to give him a break, and we floated at the surface of the water, letting the small current created by what Berwald called 'filters' gently move us around the pool. To stay together while we floated, he held my hand, his fingers laced with mine. A feeling that I was unfamiliar with washed over me when I thought about our twined fingers. No one had ever held my hand, not affectionately anyway. Though it was foreign, it was a lovely feeling, and I was content to spend the rest of our day at the pool like that. My stomach didn't agree with that sentiment though.  
When the growling became loud enough for Berwald to hear, he stood upright, letting my hand go in order to walk towards the edge. I followed after him, stopping when I realised that I had no way to get out of the pool. I wouldn't be able to heave myself out, so I was stuck unless Berwald decided to help me out. And he didn't. He left me in the shallowest part of the water, going over to the bag. He took out a towel, drying his hair and face, then wrapped it about his waist. Once he was sure it secure, he grabbed the bag, bringing it over to me. He sat on the ledge, his legs dangling. After taking a moment to get settled, he opened the bag, removing a smaller one from inside. After unzipping it, he produced several containers full of food, placing them within my reach. I waited till he had everything unpacked, then started picking out things I liked, popping them into my mouth.  
"Jus' don' drop anythin'. We'd get in trouble." He said. I nodded, making sure to be extra careful with my food. As we ate in companionable silence, I couldn't help but think back to the time when food was scarce. I remembered filling my sleeping area with pearls several nights because of stabbing hunger pains. It seemed such a faraway memory already, though I hadn't honestly been on land for very long.  
And, as I thought of my old life, I inevitably thought back to my bed mate. He was nearly as small as me, so he had never fared much better. I wondered how he was doing. Perhaps my absence had been good for him; he had the sleeping area to himself. And there was one less mouth to feed, so he could take my share...  
But who did I think I was tricking? Certainly not myself. I knew that he was likely having a very hard time by himself, especially being mute. I could only hope that he would survive on his own. He had been doing alright when I left, but he and I were also sharing food. And without me talking to him all the time, he might grow depressed from loneliness. There were so many things that could go wrong, simply because I had disappeared from his life, and I felt truly guilty about leaving for the first time.

I think Berwald noticed my dark thoughts, for he captured my attention, and he too was frowning.  
"Are ya alrigh'?" He asked, putting his half eaten sandwich back into the box.  
"Yes, I'm fine!" I assured him, trying my best to put on a smile to be more convincing. But I could tell that I failed, so I let it fall without much of a fight. "I just... I'm worried about my friend. The one I told you of? He's very similar to me; Small and not very muscular. And he doesn't speak. I really hate to think of all the things that could have happened to him since I left." I admitted, casting my gaze anywhere but his face. I wished that I hadn't burdened him with my fretting, but what was done was done. He was quiet for a while, and I was too down to fill the silence with needless chatter.

"Wha' do ya wan' to do?" He finally asked, and I looked up to his face at last.  
"Want to do?" I repeated.

"Ja. Ya have two choices: Ya can go back an' check on him, or ya can assume tha' he's alrigh', and le' it go." He explained. I frowned even deeper. I didn't like either of the options. I feared the ocean too much to return, but I doubted I could ever forget someone I was so close to. But what could I do? I sighed, looking to Berwald as if for guidance.

"I... I suppose I'll have to put my thoughts of him aside for now. There is nothing I can do." I said bitterly, hating to admit that I was so powerless. Berwald nodded, resuming his eating. He gestured for me to do the same, and I picked up a sandwich, though I had lost my appetite.

After we finished eating, Berwald insisted that he wait thirty minutes before rejoining me in the water, and he wouldn't be swayed, no matter how I begged him. I swam off with a huff, planting myself at the bottom of the deepest part so that he couldn't talk to me. I was a bit miffed by his rejection. I expected him to be quick to comply, especially considering the depressed state I was in. Who cared if he got cramps? It's not as if that would be the end of the world.  
I pouted, half at him and half at myself. I was being selfish and immature, and I knew it. Berwald gave me practically everything I wanted, without a single question asked. I sighed, a few bubbles escaping my mouth. I returned to the ledge where his feet dangled in the water, surfacing next to him. His expression hadn't changed since I left his side, but he made an attempt at a smile when I allowed our eyes to meet. And I knew, at that moment, that I had no chances of ever staying angry at him. That almost smile would always melt my heart.

I laid my head in his lap as way of apology. He stiffened for a second, but then relaxed and rested one of his hands in my hair. I stayed like that for at least a few minutes, then pulled away, smiling at him. I lifted my arms up, signaling to him that I wanted help to get out. He grabbed me and heaved, managing to get me out of the water with a grunt. He sat me down next to him on the ledge, my tail still dipped into the water.  
"Thank you." I said, scooting a little closer, pressing our shoulders together so I could use him to support my sitting position.  
"Ja."

"I'll wait too. Until you can swim again." I announced. He nodded, running his fingers through my wet hair. He then proceeded to laugh, and my hands flew up to feel what he had done to my hair. It was sticking up where his fingers had trailed, and I hastily flattened it down, scowling at him as he continued to chuckle. "That was not very nice." I pointed out.

"Sorry." He offered, though I could tell by his dying laughter that he was not sorry at all. I let it go though, choosing to enjoy his company, funny hair or not.

-.-.-+-.-.-

Five came much too soon, in my opinion. Berwald insisted that I get out an hour before the lady was meant to show up, because we would have to leave when she arrived, so I would have to have legs by then. I made a fuss, but eventually let him coax me out of the pool with a promise to take me again soon. He carried me, with much effort, to the locker room, and helped me shower the chemicals off. Then he wrapped me in a towel and started getting dressed himself.

I sat, wondering how long it would take to make the change. Berwald, after finishing with his dressing, sat next to me, offering his conversation as a way to pass the time. We eventually got to talking about what I did when he was at work.

"Don' ya ever ge' bored? There isn' much to do at mah house." He admitted. I smiled, nodding.

"Sometimes, I guess. But it isn't as though there is anything else for me to do." I pointed out.

"Hmm... Maybe ya coul' ge' a hobby?" He suggested.

"A what?"

"A hobby. Somethin' ya do to pass the time." He explained. "Some people draw, or play instrumen's, or make clothes, there's lot's to choose from." I considered it with much thought, but wasn't entirely sure what he was talking about.  
"Is a hobby... fun?" I wondered.

"It's supposed to be."

"Well... It never hurts to try. But what should I do? I don't know how to do any of those things." I reminded him, frowning a bit.

"Learnin' is half the fun. An' ya can try a few ou' till ya find one ya like."

"Okei, I'll try. You'll have to help me though."

"Ja." He agreed, giving me a small smile. Looking down, I could see the form of the legs starting to show through, though my fins were still very prominent.

"Do you have a hobby?" I asked, never having noticed anything like one before.

"Ja. Ah carve things ou' of wood." He said. "Ah can show ya when we ge' back." He offered. I nodded, very eager to see what he had made.

We talked like that for about thirty minutes, and by then I had two separate appendages, however scaly they might have been. I got dressed, then returned to sitting with Berwald, though it seemed we had reached a lull in the conversation. I fell to an old habit, letting a slow melody slip from my lips. At first I just sang notes, but eventually I transitioned into words, old Mer. It was only used when we sang, and it sounded much different out of the water. Before we adapted to the human language, we could only really communicate under water. Our language was simply too complex for the lack of acoustics on land. But luckily the building that housed the pool allowed for an echo, so I didn't sound too terrible. I let the words flow, not truly thinking about what I was singing about. That is the way of the Mer. The lyrics come on their own, we sing about what we feel. It's natural for us, much like breathing.

I sang of the fear of my life before, of my narrow escape, of the savior that cared for me still, of growing affections.  
When I had nothing else to sing of, I let it trail off, opening my eyes. I heaved a sigh, feeling great after singing after such a long lack thereof. I wondered vaguely why I hadn't sung in so long, but I was reminded when I looked over at Berwald. His eyes were wide and transfixed on me, obviously captivated. My stomach lurched, remembering all of the stories of kidnapped Mer, forced to sing endlessly for humans.  
But, thankfully, after a few moments Berwald regained his senses.

"Tha' was... Beautiful."

A/N: Chapter four is a go. It's funny, I refuse to upload the next chapter until I have the one two ahead of it finished. So I finished chapter six last night, and chapter four comes out. I do that because I want to have a few already written just in case, but it kind of defeats the purpose, seeing as the whole point of that was to avoid super long upload gaps. Oh well, at least I have a couple to fall back on should I hit any massive writer's block. It also gives me a one up on you guys, so when you review I can snicker at the things you do or don't guess. It's fun for me!

I'm typing this at my dad's house, actually, which is a rare thing for me. I live with my mom, but my dad is giving me a car, and I have to learn how to drive it. It's sad that an 18 year old is just now learning to drive. In my defense, it's a five-speed, so it's a bit harder than a normal car. It's a cutie though, itty bitty and red. (I wish it was blue. I might look into getting it painted. But that's so expensive... Ugh, we shall see.) Hopefully I'll be driving soon.

The other day, I simply couldn't resist, and I ended up writing the climax of the story! I know that's cheating, but I've been dying to do it since I started writing this, and you've got to write when you get the inspiration. Now I just have to make sure I mention everything I did in the climax. Let's just say, I have a lot in store for our favorite Mer and man. A LOT.

This past weekend, I was at Dodeca-Con, which is the first convention EVER in my city. It was tiny, but because of that I ended up making a lot of new friends, and managed to stretch forty dollars out into several purchases! I was actually working for them... Well, volunteering. And I hosted the cosplay panel, which means I got to dress up every day! And I placed in the costume contest! I was awarded "best representation/reproduction of an anime character" for my Ciel cosplay. If you'd like to see me all dressed up, I have some pictures up on my facebook page, at least one of each costume. Feel free to check them out, there's a link to my facebook in my profile!

For now, I'm trying to save as much money as I can for Supernatural Toronto, but it's proving very hard with all of the awesome Kingdom Hearts stuff and fabric I need to buy. The life of a cosplayer. I'm currently working on Natsuo and Youji from Loveless, and after that I'm planning on doing Himeno from Pretear with my little brother, who is going to do Hajime. I'm still looking for someone to do Takako/Fenril, but so far my search has been in vain! I'll never give up though.

Okei, I'll let you all go, sorry for Tino ranting at you every time I post a chapter, I just love talking to you all so much! I'd be tickled if you reviewed. Trust me when I say, the more reviews I see, the more I want to write. So keep 'em coming, and I'll keep the chapters coming. Thanks for your time, and I hope to see you all next time around. For now, Auf Wiedersehen and Rakastan Sinua!

KuroRiya

九六りや


	5. Chapter 5

I was worried about having sung in front of Berwald, but a few days passed, and he made no indication that he had any diabolical plans of making me sing to him for the rest of his or my days. I eventually came to the conclusion that it would be safe to sing around him on occasion. He did, after all, seem to enjoy it. So, when the mood struck me, I would sing for him. It usually happened sometime in the evening, after he returned from work and we were simply relaxing. He always listened with a peaceful expression, sometimes even a smile.  
Every once in a while I'd sing him to sleep while we laid in bed. I think he finally gave up on the idea of getting me my own, and instead just bought me some pillows to be added to his prior collection. So when I noticed he was having trouble sleeping, which happened a couple times a week, I would sing him a soft melody, and eventually he'd lull into slumber.

But he never demanded more when I finished, never showed any aggression. He just appreciated it when it happened. With this discovery, life with Berwald became even more comfortable. Mer sung all the time, it was practically a staple in our lives. It had been difficult for me to contain it for as long as I had. It was nice to finally partake again.

Other than that, I began filling my time with a hobby, as Berwald had suggested. After trying a few things, I decided that I liked drawing the most. Berwald made sure I had plenty of paper and pencils, and had taken to hanging my finished drawings on the refrigerator. It was a little embarrassing, as I knew I was far from talented, but my heart always fluttered when he praised each of my pictures. And, to be honest, I was improving a little bit every day. Not much, but I was definitely better than when I started. Berwald assured me that that was part of the whole hobby thing.

Berwald also gave me permission to invite Matthew over, and he had visited a few times already. He met Berwald on one of these occasions, and though he was obviously intimidated at first, he eventually warmed up to him. Matthew actually invited us to join he and his boyfriend for dinner some time. We agreed, though no definite date was set in place. He explained that he'd have to ask his boyfriend when the best time would be.

Speaking of boyfriends... I must confess that I was growing incredibly fond of my savior. Of course, I liked him after the third day or so. But my affection had grown exponentially as we got to know one another and grew closer. I hadn't ever had a mate; I was considered pretty young for a Mer, and there wasn't a very large selection in our cave. Most of them were too old for me, and what few young adults remained were already coupled. And, to be honest, I wasn't especially close to anyone other than my bed mate. Perhaps, given some more time, I would have chosen him, and he I. Or perhaps not.  
But I was happy that I didn't yet have a mate, for Berwald would have stolen my affections away in a heartbeat. He was a perfect match for me. He was quiet, patient, strong, caring, and brave; everything I needed to complete myself. Not to mention he was rather handsome with his piercing eyes that reminded me so much of home, and his masculine form. But I was unsure about his feelings in regard to me.  
It seemed that the actions directed at me were affectionate, but that was from my perspective. How was I to know if the flirtatious gestures were different for humans? It was then that I discovered romance movies. I needed to study up, so I began watching television programs and movies that depicted human love. I was delighted to find that courting rituals on land were practically the same as under the water. And, the more I was paying attention, the more I noticed how often Berwald showed his affections.

But still, how could I be sure? Maybe he was just that kind of person. I couldn't just ask him outright, that would be too forward of me. And what if he did not return my feelings? It would put strain on our still young friendship. Not only that, it would make the air around us awkward, and I might end up having to leave his home! These were factors that I simply could not ignore.

I did, however, begin trying to give him hints. Whether it was taking his hand as we walked, despite not needing him anymore to support my walking, or snuggling close to him as we got settled in for bed. He never denied me the contact, but nor did he react. It was all so confusing, and I had to wonder if courting was so difficult for all beings, or if I was just superbly unlucky.

I was on the verge of confessing my feelings to Matthew, in hopes that he'd be able to help me, but he spoke before I could, suddenly having remembered our dinner date. He called to Berwald, who had been in the other room, letting him know as well that he and his boyfriend had picked a day and time. He relayed these to Berwald, who took note of them in a small calendar book he kept with him. He and Matthew then engaged in a conversation about what would be served for dinner and whether Berwald should bring something along. I sighed, knowing I had missed my opportunity.

We drove to Matthew's house a week later. It was a truly terrifying experience to say the least. I had been introduced to Astrid, Berwald's car, shortly after I began staying with him. However, I had never been for a ride in her. She went much too fast for my comfort, not to mention it was a jerky and noisy ride. I made sure to inform Berwald of my distaste for his wheeled monstrosity, but he only laughed, ruffling my hair.

"Ya'll get used to it." He assured me, opening the back door to retrieve the dessert he had made for dinner. I frowned, not in agreement at all.

"I do not wish to grow accustomed to it. That was terrible! I'll admit that humans are very clever, and your ingenuity is incredible, but this," I gestured to the car, "was the worst idea you've ever had, aside from the stone launching sticks." I huffed.

"Stone launchin' sticks?" He mused, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes! They are shiny, made out of the... Metal. Made out of metal. And they launch little balls of metal, but they do it really fast so that they can go through things. They're always very noisy, they make a loud bang sound." I tried to explain, my memory fresh as I had seen them on the television as well.

"Oh, guns." He supplied. I frowned, not liking the name of the device anymore than the device itself.

"I hate them." I spat. I had never actually seen one in person, but I had heard about the horrors that 'guns' caused. That was enough for me. "I also hate bicycles. The humans riding them are always rude. They nearly ride them right over me, and then yell at me for getting in the way. But I was on the sidewalk! You said that the sidewalk was for walking, not bicycles!" I seethed. "Oh, and..." I was cut off as the door to the house opened, Matthew emerging to welcome us inside. I decided to save the rest of my rant for later.

He ushered us inside, taking the dish from Berwald and disappearing into a different room. When he emerged, he had another human by the arm. I assumed this was the lover I had heard about. He was tall, but still not quite as tall as Berwald. His hair and skin were both white, his eyes a reddish color. I realised that he was albino. I had seen a few fish lacking in pigment, but I had yet to see a Mer without color. This would be my first human.

"Tino, Berwald, meet Gilbert." Matthew said, gesturing to the man.

"Nice to meet ya." He said, giving us a grin that could have been read as condescending.

"You'll have to forgive his mannerisms, he's really not as rude as he comes off. He just has trouble expressing his emotions." Matthew explained, sighing to himself.

"Hey! That's kind of rude, don't ya think?" Gilbert gasped, frowning at his love. "The awesome me expresses himself just fine. It's West who has issues! Have you seen that totally constipated look he always has on his face? He's been like that since we were kids! But man, if you embarrass the guy! You should have seen him that time I hung his..."  
"Enough Gil, you're going to scare them off." Matthew chided, sending an apologetic smile our way. "Dinner is ready, if you guys are ready to eat." He added. I nodded eagerly, always excited to eat. Matthew led us into his kitchen, Gilbert pointing to two chairs when Berwald and I both stood awkwardly next to the table, not wanting to take the spots that our hosts usually occupied. I gave him an appreciative smile, sitting in one of the chairs, Berwald sitting in the other. Matthew and Gilbert sat across from us, sitting much closer to one another than Berwald and I were. The dishes of food were already on the table, and plates and drinks were in place at each seat. Matthew gestured for Berwald and I to get our food first, and, following Berwald's example, I did so. Whenever I finished with a dish, Berwald would pass it to Gilbert, who finished by handing to it Matthew. In this fashion, we each got what we wanted, and we all began eating once everyone had their food.

After we had all gotten a bit more comfortable around each other, we started some conversation. Well, mostly Gilbert and I. As it would turn out, he liked to talk almost as much as I did, and he had some pretty interesting things to talk about. Granted, I didn't understand the majority of it, but I played along as if I was a normal human. I also learned that "awesome" was one of his favorite words.

"And one time, when Mattie was making pancakes at, like, five in the morning, he totally flipped one so hard that it hit the ceiling! The awesome we had to wait two days before it fell down!" He said, grinning widely at his blushing boyfriend. I smiled, remembering the tasty flat cakes that Berwald had made a few times before.  
"Gil, that was one time, and..." Matthew tried to cut in, but Gilbert was having none of it.

"It's okay Matt, your pancakes are still the most awesome! Even if they do have bits of the ceiling in them!" He added, cackling. Matthew rolled his eyes, throwing an exasperated look my direction. I chuckled, showing him that I shared his feelings.

"Alright, two can play at that game, Gil. Remember the time that you got drunk enough that you thought you could beat me at hockey?" He asked, a smirk crossing his features. Gilbert froze, choking on his drink a bit.

"You said we'd never talk about that!" Gilbert exclaimed, the nervousness obvious in his tone.

"Well, you said we'd never talk about the pancake." Matthew replied, his grin widening as he turned to Berwald and I. "Gilbert and his brother go out drinking once a week or so. And... Well, let's just say they don't leave a bar without making sure they are drunk. Totally shitfaced, actually." I made a mental note to ask Berwald the meaning of the word 'shitfaced'.

"Gil is the type of drunk that gets really cocky and competitive." He continued.

"Come on Mattie, anything but this story..." Gilbert whined, his eyes round and hopeful. Matthew ignored him.

"So, on one of these occasions, he stumbles back home, sneaking into the closet where I keep my hockey gear. I keep some equipment for Gil too, so I can use him for practise. So Gil gets all suited up... Kind of." He trailed. I guess my face was begging for details, because he gave them.

"He had his head and arm both through the head hole, and let's just say that the padding was not where it was supposed to be. Once he's all dressed up, he barges into our bedroom, at three AM mind you, and shouts challenges at me until I finally drag myself out of bed. He then shoved me into the closet, demanding I get ready for a hockey match," he paused here, "I'm... I'm actually really competitive when it comes to hockey. So I humored him, mostly because I wanted to prove that he'd never be able to beat me at hockey. We played a quick game out on the street. Suffice to say, I kicked his ass." Matthew finished, grinning over at Gilbert.

"Ja, he won, but..." Gilbert started, Matthew cutting him off again.

"Oh, how silly, I forgot to tell them about you hitting the puck through the old neighbor lady's bedroom window, hitting yourself in the face with the stick at least five times, vomiting in the middle of the street, and crashing into the old neighbor lady's car. She still has a dent." He sneered, grinning triumphantly at the crestfallen look on Gilbert's face. The man look positively beet red, and I chuckled along with Berwald and Matthew at his expense.  
"Not to mention he mooned the old neighbor lady when she came out to complain." He finished, his grin widening.

"Alright, alright, you humiliated the awesome me. Are you happy?" Gilbert demanded.

"I'm getting there." He replied, muting his smirk to a kind smile, pressing a kiss to the larger male's jaw. With that, any animosity that had formed between them disappeared. I stared, trying not to let my jealousy show, but likely failing. I glanced over at Berwald, wondering how he was reacting, but, per usual, he wasn't really reacting at all. I sighed, obviously a little too loudly, for Berwald's head turned my way. I felt the rise in heat on my cheeks, quickly averting my eyes to avoid the question that was certainly in his.

When we had finished with dinner, Matthew suggested we all watch a movie together until we were up for dessert, and seeing as we had no other engagements that night, Berwald agreed for us. After a short argument between Gilbert and Matthew, they decided that we'd watch a thriller, whatever that meant. I settled in next to Berwald on the couch, Matthew sitting on my other side. The movie began playing, and I gave it my attention. I had to ask Berwald what the title was when it started, for I couldn't read the human language.

"Black Swan." He whispered.

-.-.-+-.-.-

About an hour and a half, a lot of mental trauma, and a couple pieces of cake later, it was time for Berwald and I to take our leave. We said our goodbyes to Matthew and Gilbert, and thanked them for the lovely night. They invited us to come over again sometime, as they had had fun as well. Then it was back into the wheeled monstrosity for the short drive back to Berwald's home.

"Berwald, I do not understand the movie that we watched." I announced. He spared me a glance, then returned his eyes to the road. He had been around me long enough to know that I was far from done. "She was a dancer, I understand that, but why did she always dance on the tips of her toes? It's hard enough to walk with the whole foot..." I trailed.

"Because she's a ballet dancer." He explained. "They're considered really special 'cause they can dance on their toes. No' many people can do it."

"Okei, that's great and all, but what was the issue with all of the other dancers? Why was everyone so mean to her?" I asked.  
"Because she go' the main role, which is somethin' all of the dancers wan'. It's the only character the audience really pays attention to. An' they though' she slept with her boss to ge' it."  
"But... What's wrong with that? I sleep with you." I pointed out. His face got very red, and he refused to look away from the road for even a second.

"It was a figure of speech. It means tha'... She was... Uh... You know... havin'..." He trailed off, seemingly unable to finish his statement. I blinked, waiting for him to say what he meant, for I had no idea. "She, uh, she was... Havin' sex with him..." He finally said, looking out of his window, even his ears red now. I paused, thinking over what he had said, then gasping when I understood.

"Oh! You mean they thought that they were mating! But I still don't understand. Why is that bad?" I wondered.

"Usin' sex to ge' things ya wan' isn't righ'."

"But... Why not?" I questioned.

"'Cause tha's not wha' sex shoul' be about." He said, his voice firm. "It's supposed to be abou' love. She didn' love him." He finished.

"Oh, she didn't? But why would she mate with him if she didn't love him?" I asked, more confused than when the conversation had started.

"Well, she didn't. Bu' like Ah said, people use it as a way to get wha' they wan'. And the other girls though' she had used it tha' way." He said, sighing.

"And that's... Wrong. Okei, then did she love the girl that she was kissing? What were they doing when they went to her house? Was that mating? She must have loved the girl, because..."

"No, she didn't love the girl, she jus' though' she was attractive. And they didn't actually... You know... She was jus' havin' a dream abou' it. Tha's okej." He said, cutting me off before I could rant too much. "And tha's no' really wha' sex should look like. They were jus'... Well, they were jus' horny. There wasn' any love." He added.

"Oh... Why do humans seem to mate so often? It's almost like you like it." I pointed out. At this, he finally looked at me, his face surprised.

"Uh... Merfolk don'..." He trailed off again.

"We mate, of course! We would have died out ages ago if we didn't. But we certainly don't do it as much as human seem to. It's not like it's much fun, after all."

He seemed stunned, not a word escaping his lips. I was curious about this silence of his, but he seemed uncomfortable enough, so I let it drop.

"Well, anyway, what happened at the end? I thought she killed the other girl, but then she was bleeding. Did she die?"

"Maybe. Ah'm no' really sure." He admitted. "She was hallucinatin' when she killed the other girl, so she actually stabbed herself."

"Oh, okei, I think I kind of get it." I announced, though I didn't really. We were quiet after that, not speaking again until we were in the house again. We both removed our shoes and were relaxing on the couch. Berwald was reading a book, which reminded me of something that had been on my mind since the beginning of the movie.

"Hei, Berwald?" I called, getting his attention. "I was wondering if, maybe, you could teach me how to read?" I gave him my best puppy face, one I had been practising since I had seen a rather attractive man perform it on the television. It always got his older brother to do what he wanted, so I hoped my face would have the same effect on Berwald.

"Sure." He agreed, beckoning me over. He got his magical light up brick (he calls it a cellphone) from his pocket, and pressed a few of the buttons. Eventually a bunch of symbols came up, and he showed them to me. He made them big so that I could only see one at a time.

"This one is A." He said. I looked at it, then repeated its name, trying to commit it to memory. "This is B." He said, moving to the next one.

"Like the little black and yellow beast that likes to sting if you try and taste honey?" I asked.

"Ja, it's said the same." He agreed. "This is C"

"I see." I said, smiling at my own joke.

We continued like this until we made it through the entire alphabet, as he told me it was called. He then decided it was time for bed, but he promised to print the letters off for me the next day so that I could practise writing them while he was at work. I nodded, thanking him. He said that I should say them aloud as I wrote them so that I might remember them better. But he added that I shouldn't get mad at myself if I could only remember the names of a few of them. It was, after all, my first time with them.

He led me to the bedroom, pulling out some pyjamas for the both of us. We got changed, then climbed into the bed, quickly finding comfortable positions. It was pretty routine at that point, as we always ended up in the same position anyway, me nestled against his torso with his arms draped around me. Even if we fell asleep apart, I always wiggled my way into his arms in the search of heat. We had long given up on personal space.

We laid together, both content, but neither of us could seem to find sleep. So, as I always did on sleepless nights, I sang, confessing the feelings I couldn't speak aloud in a language he could never understand. He sighed, his breathing slowing and regulating, his heart finding a calm pace as his body relaxed into my melody, his arms drawing me closer as he finally fell into sleep. I sang until I was sure the deafening silence wouldn't rouse him, then I too relaxed. I let the rhythmic beating of his heart, rush of air as he took in and released air, and his radiating heat lull me into unconsciousness.

A/N: I made promises, and I intend to keep them, so here it is, chapter five! My chapters are getting a bit shorter, I've noticed. But there isn't much I can do about it, because I stop at good cutoff points, and writing more would make me feel uncomfortable. So you'll have to deal with shorter chapters for a bit, sorry! At least they're coming at all, right?  
I know I always write a bunch of apologies, but I'm going to skip it this time in favor of having you watch the video I posted about just that. It's also got a little update on the NSTAC sequel, and I've decided that I'm going to do a solo Q&A thing, since the SuFin author Livestream thing died. So go check out the video, if you're interested. I'm going to attempt to put a link here, but if it is totally unusable, check my Devi, facebook, or tumblr profile for a link. It's posted on all three, so whichever you prefer. (If you need a link to those, check my profile!)  
Here's my attempt at a link.  
Triple W dot youtube dot com slash watch? v=yzA8CL7Sf7s. No spaces or anything. It would seriously be easier to just grab the link from one of the aforementioned sources, but good luck either way!  
In other news, just twoish weeks until I'm off to Canada for Supernatural Toronto! I'm super duper excited like OMG. But I'm trying to keep calm and Carry on My Wayward Son. (Haha, I'm hilarious.) Just so you guys know, I'll be falling off the face of the earth for, like, a week for that, so expect a lull from me accordingly. I've been working my butt off for this, I'm so looking forward to it. Let me know if you're going to be there!  
Okei, I'm sorry, but it's getting pretty late, and I work tomorrow. (For Supernatural money, of course.) Oh, but before I go, I'd be just tickled if you guys would like my cosplay page on facebook. I just recently made it, so it hasn't got many likes, but everyone has to start somewhere. I'll add that link to my profile! Thanks in advance!  
This chapter goes out to NordicQueen. I hope you get around to feeling better, and I hope this chapter helps, even if just a little bit!  
Now, for real, I'm going to bed. Hyvää yötä, KuroRiya out!

KuroRiya

九六りや


	6. Chapter 6

After a few more weeks, I was growing very frustrated with my lack of the ability to read Berwald's thoughts. I had decided, somewhere along the way, that I was most certainly in love with the man. I was embarrassed to admit it, definitely. But love is love, and I figured that it was better for me to accept it than try to hide it away in my heart and pretend it never happened. But I was entirely incapable of telling if Berwald reciprocated any of my feelings. It never registered with me how impossible reading his expressions was until I needed to do so!

I tried to provoke him into reacting in a way that would indicate his opinion of me, but he was proving a worthy opponent. He simply seemed prepared for anything, as if nothing I could do would ever affect him. And it was torture not knowing! How I wanted to confess my feelings to him, to openly show him affection, yet I was too afraid of the rejection that was very much a possibility. If he dismissed my love, would he still allow me to stay? It would surely make him uncomfortable to have someone with unrequited feelings for him living in the same home, inescapable. And I didn't dare try my luck with another human. Despite having settled into my life, I was still obviously new to the whole "human" thing. If nothing else, my inability to read more than simple children's books would likely give me away. Apparently, in this, and most advanced, countries, everyone was required to receive several years of education, and therefore most were literate. It would be an immediate red-flag if anyone noticed my inadequacy.

And so I bit my tongue every time I almost told Berwald how I felt, hoping beyond hope that he would eventually get around to telling me first, if he felt the same way. That was, in fact, all that I could do. I was simply too scared to pursue it myself. But I at least tried to make it obvious that I felt more for him than simple companionship. As he slowly, and painstakingly, taught me new words, I'd lean against his side. When we watched the television together, I'd discreetly scoot towards him until he was forced to wrap an arm around my shoulders to accommodate for the personal space I had stolen from him. On the few occasions he joined me for a walk, I'd lace my fingers with his, regardless of the fact that I could now walk perfectly without his help. They were all things I had seen the humans do on the television, so I hoped he would get the message.

But life seemed to carry on as usual for us, despite the extra pushes I was giving him. I wanted to pull my hair out! I was going crazy with the need to know! I was flirting my face off! How had he not picked up on it? And what if he had and he was just ignoring me on purpose? There were so many possibilities, but it all seemed worst case scenario for me.

I finally confided in Matthew, spilling out my heart to him, sans the details about my not so human history. He tried to comfort me by assuring me that Berwald had feelings for me, but I could not be convinced. He did, however, give me a few tips, and informed me of a whole list of things to watch out for in my future encounters with Berwald. Before I left, he promised me that things would work in the end. He said that fate had a funny way of helping people find the ones they were meant for. I was, of course, skeptical, but I decided to take his words for what they were.

About two days after that, when Berwald returned home, I began my mental checklist. When he entered, I quickly came to the door to greet him, helping him shed the outermost layers of his clothing, as I always saw him do immediately upon returning. He thanked me, offering a smile as he sat down to remove his shoes.  
_"Does he smile a lot when he's around you?"_

That was one box checked off.  
Once he had made himself comfortable, he headed into the living room, flopping his full weight onto the couch and letting out a sigh. After finding his position of choice, he beckoned me over, pulling me against him as I sat.

"_Does he initiate physical contact? Even little stuff, like brushing against you or a hug counts."_

Make that two boxes.

"Was it busy today?" I asked, laying my head on his shoulder. He let out another sigh, nodding.

"We go' a huge shipment, and Mathias messed up the stock numbers, so Ah had to fix it." He vented, rubbing the space between his eyebrows. "Bu' Ah'm home now, so le's talk abou' somethin' else." He requested, and I nodded.  
"Okei." I agreed. We both thought for a moment, trying to think of a new topic.

"How was your day?" He finally asked.

"I visited Matthew earlier. Today is his day off, and he invited me over. He even made me pancakes for lunch." I offered. He smiled, ruffling my hair.  
"Tha' was nice of him."

"Mhm, I thought so too." I agreed, allowing us to fall into a comfortable silence. We relaxed like that for a few more minutes, then my stomach growled, alerting the both of us to my hunger._  
_Berwald asked me to go to dinner. I could tell it was one of those days when he was too tired to cook for us, and I quickly agreed.

"_Does he ever take you out? Like, to eat, or something like that?" _

"_Yes, but usually only when he's too tired from work to make us anything for dinner." I explained._

"_Well, that could still count. Does he _ask_ you if you _want_ to go out to eat?" He asked._

"_Um, I'm not sure. I've never paid that much attention." I admitted. _

"_Next time, make sure you pay attention. Because if he _asks_ you, you could consider it a date." He pointed out. _

"_Really? It works like that?" _

"_Sometimes. Does he usually pay for the food?" _

"_Mhm, but that's because he doesn't really have a choice..." I trailed. _

"_Oh, right, you're unemployed. I forgot. But that's another indication; a lot of people will pay for their date's food. It's kind of cliché, but it's a thing."_

"_Wow... Courting is so complicated!" I decided. He gave me a funny look. _

"_Courting? You have such a weird way of talking, you know that Tino? You're like... An anachronism." He announced. _

"_Ananachronism?" _

"_Anachronism. It means that you seem like you belong to a different time. You just... You phrase things kind of differently than most people. But it's kind of cool, so don't worry." He assured me. I was wincing on the inside. I knew that I spoke differently than the other humans, but I had hoped it wasn't as glaringly obvious as it apparently was._

"_Anyway, from the sounds of it, he cooks for you?" He continued, picking our previous topic of conversation right back up. _

"_Oh, yes. Everyday, usually twice."_

"_I wish I could get Gil to cook for me once a month..." He grumbled. I laughed, suddenly very thankful that Berwald seemed to enjoy cooking. _

So that was three, if my math skills were to be trusted.

After getting shoes on, we headed out, deciding to walk to the restaurant, as I still wasn't very fond of riding in Astrid. It was a short walk, and we quickly arrived at a restaurant, one that we had been to a few times before. After a few greetings from waiters I had befriended previously, we were seated. We both glanced at the menu before ordering, me picking a picture that looked good. the waiter excusing himself to prepare our dinner. I looked to Berwald, who was in the middle of sipping water from the glass the waiter had brought him. I sighed, wanting to check off the 'going on a date' box on my mental checklist as well, but still unsure if that was what I was currently taking part in. I frowned with frustration, deciding to just take a chance.

"Hei, Berwald?"

He looked at me, giving me the eye contact I was seeking. I fidgeted, not really wanting to ask, but knowing I had to say something, or risk looking rather stupid.

"Um... What is this?" I asked, my words coming out more vaguely than I had intended. His brows furrowed minutely, looking around.

"It's... It's a restaurant. Ah thought Ah taugh' ya tha' already." He said, his eyes looking upward as he tried to remember if he had or not.

"N-No, that's not what I mean. I mean, what are we doing right now?" I tried to rephrase. He looked just as confused.

"Is this some kin' of tes'? We're waitin' for our food..." He replied. I moaned with frustration, my attempts at not being too obvious failing miserably. Berwald was actually pretty dense!

"Are we on a date?" I finally blurted, my face heating up before the words had even escaped my lips. Both his eyes and mine widened, and I buried my face in my hands, too embarrassed by my outburst to even look at him. He was quiet, and I worried that I had been too up front about it, and that he was likely planning how he would escape my company.

"Do ya... Do ya wan' it to be a date?" He asked, his voice cautious, as if he was just as scared about this topic as I was. I blinked, thinking about his question just as carefully before answering.

"I... I wouldn't not like for it to be a date..." I decided, looking at him carefully. He took a moment to gather the meaning behind my answer, then nodded.

"Ah'd be okej with it too." He agreed at last. But I didn't let my spirits rise just yet.

"So... It _is_ a date?" I asked again. He paused, then offered me a small smile.

"Ja." He confirmed. My heart rate picked up, fluttering as if it had the wings of a bird. I finally checked off the last box on my checklist, looking down at my lap to avoid Berwald's gaze. Though it seemed that he maybe liked me a little bit, which was good, I was suddenly aware that he maybe liked me a little bit, and that was scary. Thankfully, the food came in time to save me from too much of the excruciatingly painful awkward silence that had fallen between Berwald and I. I used eating as an excuse not to make conversation, taking it in slowly to prolong my break. He, thankfully, didn't bother trying to interrupt my food intake, and we didn't speak a word during dinner. In fact, we didn't speak to one another again until we had left the restaurant. Having walked from his home, we had to walk back. And, with any walk of considerable distance, chitchat would be required. We began walking, the awkwardness still weighing down on my body, making me feel heavy. I frowned, not liking the feeling at all. Even though it would seem that we were maybe courting a little, I suddenly felt a disconnect with Berwald. And I didn't want that.

"Berwald?" I whispered. He looked my way, his expression hard to see in the dimming light, but I knew he was listening. "Since that was considered a... Date... Are we courting?" I asked shyly, waiting patiently for his response.

"If ya'd like to. Bu' mos' people say datin', nowadays." He pointed out. I flushed, ignoring the latter comment. I rushed ahead of him, cutting off his path and forcing him to stop.

"Really?" I demanded, looking at his face, glad that I had stopped him in front of one of the street lanterns, for I could determine whether he was playing a joke on me or not.

"Ja. 'Courtin' kind of wen out of fashion after the 1800's..." He began.

"Berwald!" I yelled, gathering the attention of a few passerby. He smiled, showing me that he was, indeed, joking.

"Sorry, Ah'm no' very good at makin' jokes." He admitted, chuckling before gathering himself and giving me his most sincere face. "But ja, really. Ah..." He paused, taking one of my hands in his. "Ah like ya a lo'." He announced, bringing my hand to his lips and pressing a kiss to my knuckles. I did my best not to scream with excitement and relief. "Ah jus' wasn't sure if ya felt the same, and Ah didn't want to make ya uncomfortable." He admitted. I laughed bitterly.

"I was thinking the same thing!" I agreed, then froze. "You aren't going to throw me out, right?" I asked, looking up at him fearfully.

"Throw ya out? Ah'd never do tha'." He said, frowning at the mere idea of it.

"Well, I was worried! It is your house, so you have the right to make me leave, and I was scared that if you didn't feel the same way about me that you wouldn't want to be around me, and then I would have nowhere to go, because other humans would notice that I'm not like them, and then they'd ask questions, and if I told them that I'm a Mer, they might torture me or make me sing for them forever, and that's why I didn't say anything, so please don't throw me out." I gushed. His eyes had widened at my outburst, but he quickly regained his wits, pulling me in for an embrace.

"Ya never needed to worry abou' tha' Tino, Ah'd never make you leave. Ah wish Ah could make ya stay forever." He confided. I blushed, my arms snaking around his waist as well.

"Really? You want me to stay?" I wondered, skeptical considering how much of a burden I was.

"Really. I love havin' ya around." He replied, this time pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"W-Well, I'd like to stay." I announced, tightening my hold on him. He chuckled, releasing me. He gave me a small smile, taking my hand yet again.

"Please do." He requested, pausing for a moment before resuming the walk home. I followed, not having much choice in the matter, thanks to our joined hands. Not that I minded.

We were silent again, but this time was much more comfortable. I was smiling hugely, and I'm sure anyone passing by must have feared for my mental health, but I could hardly care less. I was in the best mood I had been in since my trip to the pool, and nothing was going to spoil it for me! I was so happy, in fact, that I didn't even notice when Berwald took a turn that led away from the house. I only realised something was off when we passed the gates to my favorite park.

"Berwald, what are we doing here?" I asked, squeezing his fingers.

"Ah though' we could relax here for a while. Migh' be nicer than the livin' room." He pointed out. I smiled, nodding as he led me to the small lake located in the middle of the park. He found us a nice spot, then sat, his feet just inches away from the gently lapping water. I followed suit, removing my shoes after I sat so that I could get mine wet. The natural water felt nice against my skin, and I relaxed, resting my weight on my hands. But Berwald was quick to correct the posture that would soon be causing me pain, scooting behind me and situating so that I was pressed against his chest, his legs framing my own. I allowed myself a smile as I leaned against him. I was thoroughly happy that his confession had come with a whole new level of physical contact. I could get used to this Berwald pillow thing.

"Hei Berwald?" I prompted. He made a sound to let me know he was listening. "How long have you liked me?" I asked, using his previous word choice of 'like' as opposed to love. I didn't want to put words in his mouth, and it seemed to me that he was yet too nervous for that specific word. It took him a moment to answer me.

"Well, Ah though' ya were beautiful the second I saw you." He announced, pausing. "But Ah guess Ah started havin' feelings for ya a few weeks in. Ah jus' didn't wan' to scare ya off."

"I wish you had said something! I had no idea at all, you know! You don't drop many hints. I was flirting so hard, and it felt like you didn't even notice!" I scolded, twisting in his arms to give him a playful glare.

"Believe me, Ah noticed." He assured, sighing. "But Ah didn't wan' to read into it too much. Ya're kind of new to the whole human thing, so Ah though' maybe ya were jus' copyin' wha' ya saw on TV." He explained.

"Actually, I was. Human courting isn't so different from Mer courting, but I did study a bit." I admitted. He laughed, his frame shaking with the action.

"Sorry for bein' dense." He apologised, pecking my cheek. My face flushed, the heat radiating from the spot where his lips touched my skin.

"It's okei, as long as those kisses keep coming." I informed him, my hand falling over his on the ground and twining our fingers.

"Ah'll see wha' Ah can do." He promised, resting his chin in the crook of my neck, following my line of vision out to the center of the lake. We stayed that way until my feet started to look scaly, at which point he decided that we should really head home. He had work the next day, after all.

A/N: Don't look at me, I'm so late, and I totally know it. Sorry guys. I might have started writing a Shingeki no Kyojin fic. I promised I'd never join the fandom, and then I did, and when I did... Well, it was pretty hardcore. I drew fanart and started a fic, and opened prompts... Well, truth be told, I work better when I have two stories at the same time. I'm better under pressure, and I'm able to switch between the two when I get tired of working on one.  
But, because I've been working so hard on the snk fic, I've kind of neglected this one a little. I've not written chapter eight, so now there's only one 'just in case' chapter. I'll try to catch up again though. In the meantime, I'm utilizing one of my back ups so that I don't keep you all waiting any longer.

So, I'm back from Canada, and totally broke. But I got to kiss Misha Collins on the cheek. I got to touch Misha Collins. He liked my corset thing. I breathed in his scent. I felt his stubble. I am in love with a thirty-eight year old and I'm not even sorry. If you'd like to see the picture of me kissing Misha, the best place would be on my facebook page. Link in my profile!

I think that's about all I have to say this time around. Oh, right, I dyed my hair black today, so I'm no longer a blondie. (For now. I'm planning to go back eventually, but my hair needed a break from the bleach.) We just did it today, but I'm going to have to do another round, because a lot is washing out of the tips, thanks to the bleach. But my hairdresser prepared me for this. I'm just going to have to spend a week with pitch black at the top, and dark brown at the bottom. I need a trim now too, as it looks much different black than it did blonde. So much to get used to. I like the black, but I already miss the blonde. Time to invest in a few wigs, it would seem.

I'm leaving for real this time! Thank you for reading, and please send feedback if you have a moment to spare!

KuroRiya

九六りや


	7. Chapter 7

The boring, everyday tasks that I usually found boring held new interest for me as I thought about my new relationship with Berwald. I was cleaning _our_ house, and making my _suitor_ lunch. The second I saw Matthew during a walk in the park, I unloaded all of my excitement on him, my voice raising in pitch as I said way too much, much too fast. I was gasping by the time I had gotten it all out, but he merely smiled, suggesting we actually start walking around.

"I'm glad it worked out. I told you he was interested." He reminded me, smirking. I rolled my eyes, a habit I had taken to during my time amongst the humans.

"I suppose you did. But he's so... So stoic! He's so hard to read, even after spending so much time with him. I think I've gotten a little better at it, but I still lack the necessary skills to know what he's thinking." I whined, frowning.

"That's normal, I think." Matthew offered. "I mean, Berwald is definitely a special case, but I have trouble figuring out what Gil is thinking more often than not. Knowing what other people are thinking is really hard, that's why mind reading is considered a superpower. So don't feel so down on yourself, it'll get easier the longer you're together. Just make sure that you guys have good communication." He suggested, smiling at me.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Just talk to each other. Make sure you're on the same page, that you understand one another's feelings about things. Miscommunication can be a big problem in relationships, but it can totally be avoided if you guys are open and talk." He elaborated. I smiled, nodding.

"Okei, I'll try. Thank you for the tips." I said, thinking to myself for a moment. "This is honestly the first time I've ever courted someone. I have no idea what I'm doing, or what I'm supposed to do..." I admitted.

"Since you two just got together, not much really. You should always start out slow. It's better for a relationship to be a little slow than too fast. Have you two done anything particularly coupley?" He questioned.

"Well, he holds my hand sometimes now, and he kisses me, except not on the lips. Just my hand or my forehead. Is that okei?" I wondered.

"Are you comfortable with it?" He asked.

"Uhuh, I like it when he does." I confirmed.

"Then it's fine. There is no right way to proceed in a relationship, you'll have to gauge it based on how you feel. If there's something that makes you uncomfortable, then you should tell Berwald. You shouldn't ever feel uncomfortable." He explained. I made sure to take intense mental notes that I could return to in the future, thanking him for the advice with a smile.

-.-.-+-.-.-

Berwald starting asking me to go out a lot more often. I learned from Matthew that this was normal human courting behavior. These outings were called 'dates,' hence the term 'dating.' I didn't mind so much, though I made sure to let him know that I much preferred his cooking to restaurant food. He'd also take me to indulge in activities that humans generally considered enjoyable.

The first of these excursions was to a place called a bowling alley. We haven't returned since, my foot aching every time we pass the building enough to make sure of that. I nearly got us thrown out of the movie theater as well, thanks to my rather verbal amazement. Let's just say, it was a very large television, and the sound was very loud, and I was very excited. Berwald managed to quiet me enough that we could finish the movie though.

He took me to something called a 'carnival,' where we learned almost immediately that I have a very intense and apparently irrational fear of these walking monstrosities called 'clowns.' I was appalled when Berwald informed me that they were considered cute and loveable, and that they were meant to entertain children. But, my horror for the garishly painted men aside, I enjoyed the carnival. He allowed me to sample a variety of unhealthy carnival food, which was all delicious. My favorite was the spun sugar, which he called cotton candy. But the funnel cakes came in a close second.  
He convinced me to try out a few rides, though my favorite ended up being the teacups, the other rides proving too intense for my poor heart. It took a lot of effort on his part, but he eventually got me on the Ferris wheel. And, after my initial terror, I found I rather liked the Ferris wheel, and we ended up riding it several times over.  
I was amazing, especially when we made it to the top. Looking down, I could see the brightly colored tents and the people that appeared to be tiny from my vantage point. I could spot the painted men, thanks to their strange poofy hair, but they were less terrifying when I knew they couldn't get to me. And I was easily entranced by the little floating bubbles. Berwald told me that they were called balloons, and that the ones floating towards the sky were likely accidentally released by children that normally pulled them around by strings. It was kind of sad, but still a lovely sight from the Ferris wheel.  
He finally got me off of it just in time to watch the amazing fire flowers that they shot into the sky. Berwald told me the name of them, but I wasn't paying attention, too wrapped up in watching the fire flowers. But he didn't seem to like me paying so much attention to them, so he was quick to steal it away.

That was the first time he kissed me on the lips. It was surprising, but not unwelcome, and it did the job of drawing my attention away from the fire flowers. Once I realised what was happening, I responded appropriately, pressing my lips against his and drawing closer, wrapping my arms around him. He pulled away with a dark blush covering his face and ears, stepping away from me stiffly. I laughed at his embarrassment, taking his hand in mine and getting up on the tips of my toes to initiate a kiss of my own. He was obviously flustered when I pulled away, but he stayed put, lacing his fingers with mine.

After that, kissing became a common thing. I ended up having to do most of the initiating though, as it turns out that Berwald is a very shy man. But he never denied me a kiss. I learned that the optimal times were; first thing in the morning, right before he left for work, when he returned from work, and before bed. I'd still throw a few in here and there, but those ones were for sure, he could always expect them. On the rare occasion that he sought a kiss from me, especially if I wasn't expecting it, I'd blush wholeheartedly, my pulse quickening with excitement. What can I say? I have never courted anyone before. And I wasn't anywhere near as bad as Berwald!

However, despite all of the happiness caused by my new relationship, there was also a downside. Now that I was being smothered in affection, I grew to loath the time Berwald and I were forced to spend apart. It felt incredibly lonesome sitting at home while he was working. My walks became more frequent, and I started visiting Matthew a lot more often. He never complained, but I was sure I was being a bother to him. I hated myself for it, but couldn't stand to be alone. Matthew said that would wear off after a while, and I trusted him, hoping he was right about that.

As always, Matthew was right. After a few weeks, my feeling of loneliness began to dissipate. Though I'd still miss Berwald, it was more than manageable. Yet, I was always excited when he got home, happy to see him, and kiss him, and eat with him. But, when he came home that day, something seemed a bit off about him. He was especially red when I gave him a kiss, and he was stuttering all throughout dinner. I assumed that something had happened during the day to make him act this way; surely it was nothing I'd done, for I'd done nothing aberrant. But when I grasped his hand as we sat on the couch, he nearly jumped through the roof, much to my surprise. He settled back down, but I was cautious with my affections after that, doing my best not to startle him any more than I already had.

As we lay in bed, my head resting on one of his arms and my hands curled against his chest, I could hear his heart racing, his breathing picking up, as if he was nervous about something. But we'd slept in that position many times before, so it was nothing for him to be nervous about. I was about to ask him if he was feeling well, but his voice cut mine off.

"Tino?" He called softly, obviously not wanting to wake me if I'd fallen asleep.

"Yes?" I returned, shifting to look up at him. I could see a bit of distress on his face when our gazes met. He opened his mouth, made a few sounds, then shut it again, his face flushed again. I was confused by this behavior, but waited for him in hopes that he'd say what he meant to.

"U-Um, Ah..." He trailed, looking away from me. He took a moment to gather his thoughts, then shook his head. "No, nevermin'. Sorry." He whispered, looking anywhere but at me. I frowned, but let it go. I wasn't going to force him into saying something he didn't feel comfortable saying.

"It's okei. Goodnight Berwald." I said, cuddling closer to his side. He tightened his grip around my waist, pressing his nose into my hair and inhaling my scent. Eventually his heart slowed, along with his breath, and I fell asleep to soft snores.

I had hoped that he'd be his normal, calm self the next day, but he was still in his jumpy, nervous state. I decided to ignore it for the time being, and allow him to work out whatever internal struggle he was having in whatever way he wanted to. Though I was worried, it wasn't my business. I gave him his normal kisses, and sent him off with a smile.

Of course, after he left, I took a prompt walk right over to Matthew's house. I knocked a bit too urgently, but he didn't mention it when he opened the door and welcomed me inside. He made me some tea and had me sit down on the couch before I could start burying him in my many questions.

"Matthew, I think there is something wrong with Berwald." I announced. He quirked a brow, putting down the tea he had been sipping at.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well, he... He's been very nervous since he got home yesterday. He jumps when I touch him, and he's hardly talked to me at all. And when he does, he's a stuttering mess! He's always so straightforward, he hardly ever stutters." I explained. Matthew furrowed his brows in thought.

"Did he say anything weird?" He wondered, and I thought on it a moment.

"Not something weird, exactly. But, while we were laying in bed, about to go to sleep, he started to say something, but then he said nevermind and went to sleep." I offered. Matthew hummed, biting the nail of his index finger, a habit he had while thinking to himself.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure, but it sounds like he wants to tell you something important, but isn't sure if he should or not, so he's hesitating." He said. I frowned.

"But, what would he be hesitant about telling me?" I questioned, and Matthew laughed this time.

"A lot of things, really. I ran over one of Gil's birds once, and I didn't tell him for three days. And when Gil broke an old mirror, he hid the evidence and didn't tell me for a month. It took him a whole week to say he loved me for the first time! Just be patient, let him figure it out." He instructed. We finished the tea, then he saw me to the door, waving goodbye with a smile. I sighed, thankful I had such a wonderful, clever friend. Though he was definitely the type that often went unnoticed, Matthew was unbelievably sharp. He picked up on things, and knew more about everything than anyone I'd ever met. I was truly fortunate to have him by my side, eager to help me whenever I needed him. He had easily put my mind to ease with nothing but a short conversation and some delicious tea.

I hoped, vaguely, that Berwald was having trouble saying something good. It would be awful if I learned that he was trying to ask me to leave. Maybe that really was it! What if he wasn't enjoying our courtship as much as I was? I never really paid much attention, but that could easily be so! I was so in love that I wasn't seeing to his needs. I whined lowly in my throat, suddenly hyper aware of how selfish I'd been in our relationship thus far. Who was I to say that he wasn't miserable, and just going along with me because I was obviously enjoying myself? Was I so blinded by my own feelings that I was missing his?

I slipped into the house, drawing a bath and getting in after adding some salt. Call it silly, but that was the best thing I could think of to calm myself down. And it worked, my fretting all but coming to a stop as I soaked in the warm water. I decided to stop worrying about it. Surely Berwald wouldn't allow our courtship to continue if he didn't return my feelings. He would have told me the truth long ago. I nodded absently to myself, letting my body slide further into the water. My eyes were starting to get a bit droopy, and I sighed. A little nap wouldn't hurt anyone.

-.-.-+-.-.-  
I woke to the sound of the door opening and shutting, startling me so that I slipped down further into the water, yelping as I did. The water had lost its warmth during my nap, seeing as I had failed to turn on the heater before I got in. I whined, unable to get out quickly enough, my movements sluggish thanks to the temperature. And, when I finally managed to get a grip on the edge of the tub, I realised that my fins had already formed, rendering me practically invalid.

Thankfully, Berwald had heard my distress from the doorway, and came running. He seemed surprised to find that I was apparently injury free, but quickly pulled me out of the tub when I explained my situation, wrapping me in a towel and helping me dry my body off. Once I was dry enough, he hefted me up and carried me to the couch, sitting me on it and wrapping a fuzzy blanket around me. I wanted nothing more than to cuddle into his side and share in his warmth, but he walked into the kitchen as soon as I was adequately blanketed. I frowned, a low whine escaping my throat as I watched him go. But I was too scared to voice my wishes, my previous worries resurfacing as quickly as they had faded.

I accepted that I'd not be partaking in any significant cuddling, and reached for the remote, turning on the television, flipping through the channels until I found one meant for children. Though it hurt my pride a little, I knew that watching these programs was a good way to learn the ways of the human world. Though Berwald was a good teacher, he didn't have much spare time for it. So I had quickly learned to rely on the television to fill in the rest. I had already improved with the alphabet, and had managed to learn quite a few basic words, enough that I could write short sentences. And Berwald even taught me to write my own name, something I was immensely proud of.

A sweet smell began wafting my way, and I reasoned that Berwald had likely begun dinner. Though, with a dubious glance at the clock, I learned it was much too early for that. Surprisingly enough, Berwald was home pretty early in the afternoon. But what else could he be doing in there? I let it drift from my mind, figuring I would learn what he was doing sooner or later. If worst came to worse, I'd be partaking in an early dinner. I focused on learning how to spell apple instead, saying each letter aloud to myself, trying to memorize it before they moved on to a new word. It felt pathetic, learning words so simple, but it was necessary, I knew.

A few minutes later, Berwald reemerged from the kitchen, carrying two steaming mugs. I frowned, wondering if he had made me the bitter drink of energy, despite knowing that I disliked it. But when he handed the mug to me, I noticed that it wasn't nearly dark enough to be coffee, much milkier in appearance. I looked to him for guidance.

"It's ho' chocolate." He explained, encouraging me to take a drink. I contemplated it, noting that I did indeed like chocolate, and eventually gave in, taking a small drink. I smiled as it hit my tongue, looking to Berwald appreciatively as I took a bigger drink. It was sweet and chocolatey, but also warm. I could feel it radiating out from my stomach, reaching as far as my stiff fingers. He allowed himself a small smile at my reaction, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and scooting closer so that I could snuggle up to him. I sighed happily, glad that he was going to indulge me in my want for physical contact.

I forgot the program entirely, too busy falling asleep against his shoulder to care about the spelling of banana. I made sure I had downed the entire mug of its delicious contents before I sat it aside, adjusting so that I was in a more comfortable position. He waited till I was finished, then settled himself, drawing some of the blanket over his own lap, then guiding my head to rest in the crook of his neck. I did so gladly, blindly searching for his hand and then lacing my fingers with his when I located it.

"Ya shoul' be more careful abou' where ya fall asleep." He pointed out. I chuckled, squeezing his fingers between mine.

"I know. I didn't mean to stay in so long. I assumed I'd wake before the water could get that cold, but I guess I shouldn't give myself so much credit." I said, scoffing.

"Ah taugh' ya how to use the heater, didn't Ah?" He wondered.

"You did. I didn't think it'd be necessary. I was just trying to relax for a bit. I came home so flustered that I..." I cut off, realising my mistake much too late. I felt Berwald shift beside me, turning so that he could look at me, even if I couldn't return the eye contact myself.

"Flustered?" He prompted, making me sigh.

"Don't worry about it, I'm fine now. I was just worrying about silly things." I replied, waving off his concern. Of course, this being Berwald, he was having none of that.

"Tino, silly or not, Ah wan' to hear abou' it." He said firmly, almost scolding me. I frowned, finally turning to meet his eyes.

"It's really not important, I promise." I assured, trying to get him to drop the subject, but his gaze didn't falter. I made a feeble attempt of beating him at a staring contest, eventually finding it too uncomfortable and caving in to his wishes. This, of course, ended with me gushing out every last detail to him, my mouth unable to hold anything back.

"I just... You were acting rather strangely yesterday, and it had me worried. You were kind of stiff, and you kept almost saying something, but then not saying it, and you were nervous all night, and this morning, and I just wasn't sure what to think. So I went to talk to Matthew after you left for work, and he said that you probably have something important you want to tell me, but you're scared to. Uh, well, he said you weren't sure if you should tell me or not." I paused for breath here, too scared to look at Berwald. "But he said I shouldn't worry, so I tried not to, but then I tried to figure out what you might be trying to tell me, and I thought that maybe you didn't like me as much as I like you, and you were trying to tell me that you want me to leave, or you don't want to court me anymore, and then I realised that I haven't really been paying attention to your feelings at all, and I felt bad. So I tried to put it out of my mind, because I knew you'd be like 'why're ya worryin' bou' such things, silly Tino' and that's why I took a bath, because it helps me relax, but then I fell asleep, and you came home and saved me from freezing to death, but then I thought you didn't want to cuddle, because you went into the kitchen right after you put me on the couch, but then you came back with that drink stuff that was really good, and so I didn't really need to worry. Sorry." I finished at last, looking down to hide my embarrassment at my flustered explanation.

He was silent for a while, obviously trying to pick his way through everything I had said. Once he had caught up, he sighed, drawing me closer to him. He pressed his nose to the crown of my head, something I'd noticed he had a habit of doing. I wondered if my hair really smelled that good.

"...Ah'm sorry tha' Ah stressed ya ou' so much." He apologised, his fingers clenching nervously against mine. "Ah should have been more careful abou' the way Ah was actin'. Ah didn't think it'd worry ya so much." He admitted. I frowned, wanting to tell him that it wasn't really his fault, but he didn't give me the chance.

"Ah... Ah do have somethin' to tell ya." He said. I shifted in his arms to face him completely, sensing that this was when I was going to get my answer, be it good or bad. He looked uncomfortable, but my legs had formed enough that I was able to straddle his legs and prevent him from escaping. It took him a long time to speak again, and he looked everywhere but my eyes, but he did eventually say what he wanted to.

"Well, ya know tha' Ah like ya a lo'." He began. I nodded, smiling at the tidbit. "Bu' Ah never really... Never really tol' ya how much. And Ah feel like we've gotten a lo' closer, especially since you came to live with me, but even jus' these pas' couple weeks. So Ah... Ah think Ah can honestly say... Um... Ah..." His face got redder than I'd seen before, and I worried that he might lose consciousness with so much blood rushing to his face. I smiled encouragingly, willing him to get it out so he could calm down.

"A-Ah l-" He stopped yet again, taking a few breaths. I laughed awkwardly, lacing my fingers with his. I had an idea where he was going with this, but I had to hear it from him before I could truly believe it. He finally screwed his eyes shut and said it in one fell swoop.

"Ah love ya!" He shouted, his proclamation met with naught but a deafening silence. I grinned, but didn't respond, waiting patiently for him to open his eyes. He kept them closed for what seemed an eternity, but when he did open them, he was met with a flurry of kisses, courtesy of me. He made a surprised noise, but was quick to relax into it, pulling me against him with hands around my waist. This kissing was much more powerful than what we normally took part in, our lips rarely separating and air scarce, but I liked the desperation of it all, the way my head spun. When I eventually had to pull back for air, I finally returned his sentiment.

"I love you too, Berwald. I have, for a quite a while.

A/N: I caught up to myself, aren't you guys proud? I'm two chapters ahead again, thank goodness. The only reason I was so jumbled in regards to the last update was because I went to Canada for the convention, and came back literally right in the middle of eremin week! I had to contribute, my precious dorks required it! But eremin week is over, and I've already updated What Lies Beyond the Walls, so I had some time to play catchup with this story.

I nearly forgot how much I adore these two. Their domestic fluff-filled lives are enough to give me cavities. They are basically the cotton candy of the fanfiction world. It's a really stark contrast to my eremin story, which is kind of angsty and painful. It's still fluffier than a lot of the stuff in the snk fandom though... I can't seem to help myself. Speaking of, all of the prompts I filled for eremin week are up on FF and Ao3, under the title How Many Ways Can You Fall in Love. (The smutty ones are in a separate fic called How Many Ways Can You Fall into Bed on Ao3) So if you want to see what had me all tied up recently, check it out!

So, KuroRiya update! I'm officially a D20 girl! {cue applause} Oh yes, that's right! I had my interview about a week and a half ago, I think? And for some reason they all think I'm just the most awesome thing that rolled into their scene, and hei, who am I to argue? I'm kind of the baby of the group now, so I'm still getting used to being called cute... I'm so used to Anime Club, where I was everyone's sempai, and they wanted me to notice them. How the tables have turned! Unfortunately, the first event I get to attend with them isn't until January. But they're already proving to be a very sweet group of gals!  
Aaaand it is Halloween, and I have much planning to do, so this is goodbye for today! Happy Holidays, and I hope you all enjoyed the update! Feedback is always appreciated!

KuroRiya

九六りや


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